WILTSHIRE TIMES EXCLUSIVE: A ROYAL Navy engineer who fought in the Falklands war died as a result of coming into contact with deadly asbestos spores on military warships.

Chippenham father-of-two Colin Sharp served in the Royal Navy for 25-years as a marine engineer coming into repeated contact with asbestos-ridden lagging used to insulate pipes.

By the age of 48 he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, nicknamed asbestos cancer, and died five years later at his home in Lanhill View.

Deputy Wiltshire coroner William Bache, sitting at Chippenham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, said he had no doubt Mr Sharp contracted asbestos cancer during his time on steam warships. But his family are not allowed to sue the Ministry of Defence because the father-of-two was a serving member of the armed forces.

Mr Sharp worked on steam ships HMS Juno and HMS Phoebe (pictured) during his military service. Pipes in both warships were lagged with asbestos material.

Mr Bache said the devoted Navy veteran's demise was the "height of irony".

He said: "It is very obvious that the deceased served his country loyally and well over a long period of years in the Royal Navy.

"I do not have the slightest doubt that he was an extremely conscientious and efficient engineering officer.

"It is the height of irony that as a result of these efforts in my opinion he undoubtedly came into contact in the course of his work with the asbestos which would ultimately kill him."

Wife Vicky Sharp said at the inquest her husband could only have contracted cancer on one of the two warships.After the inquest she said there was an epidemic of similar cases in Portsmouth and Plymouth.

She said: "In spite of taking all the precautions my husband was obviously in contact with asbestos.

"We can't pin it down to one ship. It was a shock for us. Usually mesothelioma affects people in their 60s.

"He served in the Falklands war and was a very devoted officer."

The couple, who married in 1976, were based at Azimghur Barracks in Colerne in 1997 when the cancer was first diagnosed.

Mr Sharp was scuba diving when he experienced difficulties in breathing and visited a local GP.

Undergoing intensive bouts of radiotherapy and chemotherapy at The Royal Naval Hospital in Haslar, Mr Sharp battled with the disease until November last year.

Mrs Sharp said her husband wore protective suits when dealing with asbestos but had told her just one airborne spore was enough to cause health problems.

A post mortem examination, carried out at Salisbury District Hospital, confirmed the cause of death as asbestos cancer with the disease spreading from the left lung to the abdominal cavity.

HMS Juno was a 5,600-tonne cruiser decommissioned in 1992. The warship was stripped of weapons in 1985 and used as a Navigational Training ship.

Sister ship HMS Phoebe was a Dido class cruiser built in Fairfield and launched in 1939, playing a pivotal role in World War II.

Verdict: Industrial disease