BAILIFFS were poised to take action against a North-East firm if it failed to pay a six-figure compensation sum to the widow of a man who died after exposure to asbestos.

But a last-minute payment in full meant that the bailiffs were not called upon to enforce the settlement.

Charlie Burton worked between 1985 and 1988 as an asbestos stripper for Chieftain Group, in Walker, Newcastle.

He died aged 46 after contracting mesothelioma, a fatal lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos.

The firm was ordered by Newcastle County Court to pay damages to Mr Burton's widow Olga, from North Shields, North Tyneside, following a court case which found that he had been given inadequate protective equipment.

It also did not follow proper procedures to keep the risk of asbestos exposure to a minimum.

Chieftain, which is involved in a number of fields including insulation, scaffolding, ship and offshore platform outfitting, was given until October 3 to pay the money.

But having failed to do so, solicitors Thompsons, which represent Mr Burton's widow, sent in bailiffs.

Ian McFall, head of asbestos litigation at Thompsons, who dealt with the case, said: "This was not an idle threat. I intended to recover every penny of the compensation that the court awarded my client.

"If it was not paid in full, I instructed the bailiffs to go back to enforce the court order.

"Charlie Burton died a painful and degrading death at a very young age due to Chieftain negligently exposing him to asbestos.

"It was an insult to his memory and to his widow that the compensation was still unpaid."

No one from Chieftain was available to comment yesterday.