A WOMAN died after she was exposed to asbestos while she worked at Sittingbourne Paper Mill, a coroner has decided.

Sylvia Barron, of Rushenden Road, Queenborough, Sheppey, died aged 66 of mesothelioma in October last year. The disease is a form of cancer which is generally associated with exposure to asbestos. She was originally diagnosed in April 2002.

She had worked at the mill, then owned by Bowaters, from 1951 until 1960 as a paper sorter and packer.

In a statement to the inquest, the mill management confirmed that the area she had worked in did have asbestos lagged pipes. These pipes fed the hot air heaters.

Dr Eric Boye, a pathologist at Medway Maritime Hospital, carried out the post mortem on Mrs Barron. He told the inquest he had found no asbestos fibres in her lungs.

He said: "I am unable to demonstrate that there were fibres found, therefore it is very difficult to blame asbestos as a cause of death."

He said that there were other factors that could cause this disease such as a virus or chronic inflammation, but found no traces of either when samples were taken.

However, he said that with time asbestos fibres would diminish, therefore as it was 42 years since Mrs Barron had worked at the mill, traces of asbestos would not necessarily have been found.

After hearing the evidence, coroner Roger Sykes said: "Mrs Barron in the 1950s worked in an environment where asbestos was present in pipe works, and from time to time, the lagging was removed and dust from the asbestos was in the atmosphere.

"She would have been in some contact with asbestos. I regard that the evidence is sufficient that the mesothelioma resulted from asbestos. She died from an industrial disease."