A MAN who died after suffering from bronchopneumonia may have became ill due to industrial exposure to hazardous materials including asbestos.

An inquest at North Yorkshire County Council's 3 Racecourse Lane, Northallerton, heard that George Frederick Simpson, died aged 84 at his home in Easingwold on February 19, 2019.

Assistant coroner for North Yorkshire, Jonathan Heath, heard Mr Simpson had left school age 14 to train as a painter and decorator in Newcastle.

The inquest heard Mr Simpson had been director of a decorating firm, until he suffered a heart attack in 1979. He later returned to a managerial at another firm, but retired not long after.

In his apprentice years he had work extensively in factories, cinemas and in newly-built homes, and did a lot of work in removing ceiling tiles which would leave him covered in dust.

In his later life he suffered regular chest infections.

Although a post mortem did not find he had sufficient evidence of asbestos in his lungs to qualify as having asbestosis, there was evidence of asbestos, plus a thickening of fibres which is linked to asbestos exposure.

Mr Heath said: "He died primarily due to bronchopneumonia, with a secondary cause of heart disease.

"I will record a conclusion of cause of death to be due to industrial illness."