THE son of a Harpenden woman who died after being exposed to asbestos is appealing for his mother's former hospital colleagues to get in touch.

Mary Hanson died in 2009 from mesothelioma, a fatal lung cancer which develops as a result of asbestos exposure.

The 82-year-old's son, Chris Hanson, is appealing to his mother's colleagues from her time at Shenley Hospital to come forward as he believes she was exposed to the deadly dust during the course of her working life.

Originally from Bramley in Leeds, Mrs Hanson worked at the hospital from 1979 until the early 1980s as an occupational therapist in the domestic rehabilitiation unit.

She was involved in the rehabilitation of psychiatric patients with a view to re-integrating them into the community and prior to her death Mrs Hanson had recalled that the unit in which she worked may have been contaminated with asbestos dust and that the cloakroom and washroom areas had asbestos-lagged pipes.

She had trained at St Andrews private hospital in Northampton from 1944 to 1945.

She then worked at the Woodlands Rehabilitation Centre, Rawdon, West Yorkshire, before moving on to work in the occupational therapy wards of Leeds General Infirmary and St James’ Hospital, Leeds, from 1951 until 1955.

Mr Hanson is hoping that other employees of Shenley Hospital will be able to shed more light on the presence of asbestos in the working environment during his late mother’s employment.

He is asking anyone with information to contact him through his solicitor, industrial disease expert Katrina London from national law firm Irwin Mitchell LLP.

Katrina said: “We would like to hear from anyone who worked with and knew Mary at Shenley Hospital. Through no fault of her own, Mary was exposed to asbestos and suffered a terrible debilitating disease. We are appealing for help from any employees of these hospitals to aid our enquiries.

"More than 2,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. It is a type of cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and does not respond well to treatment, so treatment options are limited.

"Employers have a duty to take precautions with asbestos. There is no safe type of asbestos and no safe level of asbestos exposure.”

Anyone who can help can contact Katrina by calling 0161 838 2372 or email Katrina.london@irwinmitchell.com