A woman is appealing for witnesses after the death of her husband, a former engineer at Southern Gas Board’s Aldershot and Farnham depots, who died from an asbestos-related cancer just one week after receiving the diagnosis.

Linda Hulbert was married to Mick Hulbert for 53 years before his death aged 77 from mesothelioma, an incurable and aggressive form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

Linda believes Mick came into contact with asbestos while working as an apprentice gas fitter and engineer for Southern Gas Board in Aldershot and Farnham. Mick began his apprenticeship aged 15 in 1961 and worked for Southern Gas Board until 1972.

It is thought Mick would have cut asbestos flue pipes to size, used asbestos rope to seal joints, and removed asbestos gaskets during this time.

When Mick was aged 76 he developed shortness of breath and had a biopsy which came back clear. However, a second biopsy in November 2023 led to a diagnosis of mesothelioma on December 7, 2023. He died just a week later.

Law firm Leigh Day are appealing for former work colleagues to get in touch to supplement the information they have about where Mick was exposed to asbestos.

Linda said: “Mick and I were enjoying a well-deserved retirement together when this hit us out of the blue. We were taken on a rollercoaster of emotions whilst he underwent tests which were initially clear, before the devastation in December when he was formally diagnosed with mesothelioma.

“We had fully expected Mick to be coming home from hospital but matters took a turn for the worse in just a week and he died before we could really say goodbye. Words cannot describe just how sad and hollow I feel having lost Mick to mesothelioma.”

Anyone with information is asked to email [email protected] or call 0161 6725 286.