The widow of a man who died from exposure to asbestos has been awarded £192,000 after taking legal action against Maidstone Borough Council.

Kelvin Jones, died aged 60, in 2011 after developing mesothelioma, a cancer caused by close contact with the dangerous substance which can take up to 70 years to develop.

He had worked alongside asbestos in the 1980s when he was repairing council built houses on the Shepway Estate.

His role involved connecting old gutters and downpipes and replacing them with plastic ones. He was also asked to modernise coal-fired fireplaces which contained asbestos rope.

Mr Jones’s widow, Pamela, was initially granted an interim payment of £50,000 by Maidstone council, but the authority later agreed to settle the case in full before it was due to go to the High Court.

Mr Jones’ solicitor, Brigitte Chandler of Swindon law firm Charles Lucas and Marshall said: “Many of the old council houses in England had asbestos guttering and asbestos rope was commonly used around fireplaces.

“People who worked in maintenance such as decorators, plumbers and builders could easily be exposed to it.

“Often the asbestos would disintegrate in his hands.

“It was very powdery and asbestos dust would rise everywhere.”