AN inquest was held into the death of a pensioner as it was suspected that he had come into contact with asbestos.

Raymond John Reader died of lung cancer on April 7 at Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

The inquest at Southampton Coroner’s Court heard that the 66-year-old, from Balldown Farm Cottages, Northwood, Sparsholt, had jobs which could have caused him to come into contact with the industrial material.

However, a post-mortem examination revealed that asbestos was not likely to have caused his death.

Assistant coroner Simon Burge recorded that Mr Reader died of natural causes.