Southern Electricity Board bosses did not advise electrician Michael McDonald to wear a mask or clothing during his years of working with asbestos in the 1960s and 70s, an inquest heard.

His regular exposure to the material during his work in the Swindon area ultimately caused his death from the lung cancer mesothelioma, an inquest heard.

Cotswold Coroner Lester Madrell recorded a verdict Mr McDonald, 51, of Churchside Cottage, Cerney Wick, near Cricklade, died from industrial disease.

A statement from Mr McDonald himself, which he made to his solicitor shortly before his death in May this year, was read to the inquest.

In it he said that it was only in the last five to ten years that his employers had made any point of advising electricians to wear protective clothing and masks.

"Prior to that there was absolutely no warning whatever and no recommendation that we wore protective clothing when carrying out duties where we would more often than not come into contact with asbestos," he stated.

"For 15 to 20 years I would come into contact with asbestos on a weekly basis."

He said he would find the material in both business and domestic premises where he did work. Often it would have disintegrated into dust when he came into contact with it.

However, more recently, electricians doing the same work would put plastic tents around asbestos components and wear respirators, masks and protective clothing before removing them.

Mr McDonald's widow Lynne said he first became ill late last year with a pain in the left side of the chest and back. By the end of the year he was diagnosed with an asbestos related tumour.

He died on May 22 this year, just a month after his employers, now called SEC, had retired him on ill-health grounds after a working lifetime with the firm and its predecessor SEB.

A letter from SEC to the inquest confirmed that electricians had come frequently into contact with asbestos in the years before its dangers were realised.

"It was not unheard of for young workers to have asbestos snowball battles on site," said the letter.

Pathologist Professor Neil Shepherd said tests on Mr McDonald's lungs showed he had more than half a million fibres of asbestos per gram of tissue, an extremely high level.

The coroner recording his verdict said: "Mesothelioma is a dreadful disease for which the only known cause is asbestos."