The family of a man from Cheltenham who died as a result of being exposed to asbestos more than 60 years earlier has been awarded £92,000.

William Evans died from mesothelioma, a form of cancer associated with asbestos, earlier this year. He worked for AW Hawksley Ltd, a subsidiary of BAE Systems Pensions Funds Investment Management, in Gloucester between 1947 and 1950. His job involved drilling into asbestos sheets used in pre-fabricated houses.

Mr Evans’ family sued BAE Systems and the firm accepted liability, making the settlement to his two adult children. The company admitted they had wrongly exposed Mr Evans to asbestos. Mr Evans had been given no warnings or protective clothing and wore ordinary cotton overalls which he took home to wash.