THE widow of a teacher who had his life cruelly cut short by the effects of the asbestos has warned others of the dangers.

Terry McLaughlin was an art teacher at Headlands Secondary School in Swindon between 1979 and 1984 and then a lecturer and section head of art and design and New College until 1993.

He died in 2018, aged just 68, of malignant mesothelioma – an incurable cancer of the lungs which was caused by his exposure to asbestos when he was teaching. He was particularly vulnerable while teaching ceramics, where he used asbestos gloves and worked with asbestos in the kilns.

READ MORE: What are the dangers of asbestos exposure?

His widow Jean, 65, was awarded what is described as “substantial compensation” because the law on asbestos changed in 1969 – Mr McLaughlin should not have been working with the dangerous substance into the 1980s and 90s.

Mrs McLaughlin said: “Terry loved his job as a teacher, especially at New College. He was very popular and he had a really good and keen group of students there. He used to say he’d have to chase them out of the studio at the end of the day and end of term.

“He was so happy in that job but we didn’t know it was going to rob him of 20 years of his life. It’s also robbed me – we did everything together and he was everything to me. His death has devastated me.”

The couple lived in Blunsdon when Mr McLaughlin taught in the town before moving to Fairford, where Mrs McLaughlin still lives.

Mr Mclaughlin taught in Abingdon after leaving New College and then in Africa for many years.

He was only diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

Mrs Mclaughlin said: “He’d had pleurisy and number of times, and then a shoulder injury and the pain he felt was put down to that.

“When he was diagnosed with mesothelioma the doctors asked if he’d ever been exposed to asbestos, and he said no. And then we went back and thought about it, and we realised he had.

“He had refurbished the kilns at New College to save the county council money – and it didn’t occur to him that he was at any risk. He was just doing his job every day.”

Although the sum of compensation is confidential and is paid by Wiltshire County Council’s employees’ insurance policy, Mrs McLaughlin said it is vital to her.

She said: “It will allow me to stay here in our home, otherwise I wouldn’t have had enough money to do that. Terry was always the breadwinner in the family.”

She is keen that other people who might have been exposed to asbestos realise that – especially if they become ill.

“It didn’t occur to us, and when it did it was too late," said Mrs McLaughlin. "Terry died just six weeks after his diagnosis.

“There was a technician called Sue, who worked with him in the studio at New College. She might have been exposed to asbestos, so might other staff and students.

“If anyone who might have been exposed like Terry was it’s important to realise it and get legal help and advice if they become ill.”

The lawyer in the case was Lorna Webster, an asbestos and mesothelioma specialist at law firm HJA.

She said: “The exposure that Terry had to asbestos happened between 1979 and 1993 – much later than many cases, and a full 10 years after the first set of asbestos regulations, which came out in 1969. The disregard given to Terry’s health by the council is shocking.

“Sadly we are seeing more and more cases like Terry’s, where the contact with asbestos happened in an occupation not immediately linked to asbestos exposure.

"Terry lost 20 years of his life and his planned retirement with Jean was stolen from them both – it is only right that justice is obtained for Jean and in memory of Terry.

“We encourage anyone who is suffering from undiagnosed breathing-related symptoms and who believes they may have been exposed to asbestos in the past, even if their job was not one immediately associated with asbestos exposure, to go to their doctor, or organise an online appointment, as soon as possible.

"This is even more imperative following the Covid-19 pandemic, where people with underlying health conditions are likely to be more vulnerable to the virus.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: “Insurers for our predecessor authority, Wiltshire County Council, settled this claim, which related to historic events when Mr McLaughlin was working in schools and colleges in the previous designated authority boundaries more than 30 years ago.

“We understand this has been a difficult time for Mr McLaughlin’s family and we wish them well for the future.”