Asbestos link to death of ex-air hostess

 A former air stewardess was poisoned by asbestos while working at Heathrow, an inquest heard yesterday.

Marlene Elliott died on November 29, after collapsing at her Windsor home while struggling to breathe.

The 67-year-old was rushed to Wexham Park Hospital, but could not be resuscitated.

Her brother attended the inquest and told how she had worked as cabin crew in the mid 1960s and went on to work on the ground at Heathrow in various roles.
At the time of her death she was a travel representative.

East Berkshire coroner Peter Bedford read from a document compiled by Ms Elliott before she died, which said in 1968 she was working as a receptionist in Terminal Three during \'major building work including roofing\' and the air around her was polluted with minute particles.

There was also building work taking place when she worked on the security desk in Terminal Two in the early 1980s. She felt she had suffered significant and prolonged exposure to asbestos.

In September 2007, a tumour was found on her right lung and she was diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer, Mesothelioma.

A post mortem revealed the tumour had spread to her right kidney and she died from a  pulmonary thromboembolism.

Summing up, Mr Bedford said Ms Elliott had been exposed to asbestos while in the course of her employment.

A verdict of death by the industrial disease, Mesothelimoa was recorded.