Anthony, or Tony, Westgarth, of Leadgate, near Consett , County Durham, died aged 69 in 2011 just days after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, the aggressive cancer of the lung lining that is caused by exposure to asbestos dust and fibres. Father-of-one Mr Westgarth, a member of the former Derwentside District Council at one time, told his wife Ann that he was exposed to asbestos while a joiner for the old Consett Urban District Council between 1968 and 1969 and at John Roxby Surtees Limited, where he worked from 1971 to 1973.
