Widely used in construction for decades, the aftermath of asbestos exposure has been a death sentence for many in the United Kingdom.

Written by Katharine Quarmby.

Read by Richard Martin.

This article is part of a wider cross-border investigation, Asbestos: The Lethal Legacy, led by Investigative Reporting Denmark, edited by Katharine Quarmby, and made in collaboration with journalists from Knack in Belgium, Tygodnik Powszechny and Reporters’ Foundation in Poland, Ostro in Croatia and Slovenia, Investigative Reporting Project Italy, De Groene Amsterdammer in The Netherlands, Grupo Merca2 in Spain, Al Jazeera in the UK and TV2 Nord in Denmark. The investigation is supported by Journalismfund.eu.