A WIDOW who was awarded £160,000 in damages from a negligence claim after her late husband died from asbestos related cancer has presented a cheque for almost £15,000 to the hospice that cared for him.

As reported, Roy Aston, from Chickerell, died on October 24, 2020 aged 81 after a nine-month battle with mesothelioma, a tumour caused by inhaled asbestos fibres that forms on the lining of the lungs.

Mr Aston was exposed to fatal dust during his 40-year career as a builder and carpenter working on paddle steamers which used to sail off the Dorset coast. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Christmas Eve, 2019, at Dorset County Hospital and was given a prognosis of between four and six months.

Mr Aston and his wife Patricia filed a negligence claim against Mr Aston's former employer W.F. Dickinsons (Dorset) Ltd and Roger Burrage & Co Ltd for damages which included the cost of his care at Weldmar Hospicecare.

Dorset Echo: Roy Aston and his wife Patricia on their wedding day in 1963 Picture: Patricia AstonRoy Aston and his wife Patricia on their wedding day in 1963 Picture: Patricia Aston

In total, the damages awarded by insurers acting for W.F. Dickinsons (Dorset) Ltd and Roger Burrage & Co Ltd was £160,000.

Mrs Aston and her three children presented a cheque for £14,735 to the hospice charity at their inpatient unit in Dorchester to repay them for the value of care they provided to Mr Aston before he died.

Mrs Aston said: "The nurses and staff at Weldmar gave such good care to Roy and it's so nice to be able to give something back, especially as they don't receive that much money and haven't been able to do their fundraising during the pandemic.

"What happened to Roy was so awful. It was terrible watching him waste away with such a horrible disease but I am so glad he pushed me to make the negligence claim."

Dorset Echo: Roy Aston, his wife Patricia and their three children, Julie Paul and Elizabeth Picture: Patricia AstonRoy Aston, his wife Patricia and their three children, Julie Paul and Elizabeth Picture: Patricia Aston

Matt Smith, director of fundraising and marketing at Weldmar, said: "We are so grateful to Patricia for giving this money to us. We lost 80 per cent of our income when the pandemic hit and this money will go straight to providing care to our other service users.

"We are so lucky to have such great supporters and we couldn't do what we do without them."

Shaheen Mosquera, a specialist mesothelioma solicitor at Fieldfisher in London, the company representing Mr Aston, was thrilled to be present when the cheque was presented to Weldmar.

She said: "I am very pleased to have been able to include a claim for Patricia on behalf of the hospice which means that the hospice can continue to provide end of life care to people in the community."