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HAPPIER TIMES: Wilfred Glenn pictured with his wife Violet celebrating their diamond wedding on Aurora.

THE DAUGHTER of a Second World War veteran who died after being exposed to asbestos for more than 40 years is suing an electronics giant for an undisclosed five figure sum.

An inquest into the death of the former mayor of Totton Wilfred Glenn, 84, heard that he had died of mesothelioma after working in power stations and later an electronics plant owned by Philips.

Throughout his working life Mr Glenn was in close contact with places where asbestos lagging was being applied and where it was being removed from buildings.

Before his death he told legal firm JMW Solicitors that his working environment was often dusty and that employees were not told about the risks or offered protective masks.

At Southampton Coroner's Court deputy coroner Gordon Denson recorded a verdict of death due to an industrial disease.

Speaking after the inquest Mr Glenn's daughter Tracie Shefford said that everyone had been shocked when her dad had first been diagnosed with cancer because he always lived a healthy life.

She said he had never smoked, never drank, and played lots of sports.

In his younger days he had played football and was in Tottenham Hotspur youth side, he had enjoyed tennis until his 70s when an injury forced him to stop and, until a few months before his death, was competing in bowls matches several times a week. He had also been an active councillor on Totton Parish Council and was the first and only mayor of Totton.

He also sat on the New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council and was governor of Abbotswood Junior School and Totton College.

She said: "It just shocked everyone because he had always taken such good care of himself. Until last May he was as fit as a fiddle and then he started to look more tired and ill.

"It is very sad that my dad worked all his life to enjoy his later years and has had some of them taken away from him."

Speaking after the inquest Paul Webber of JMW Solicitors who is acting for the daughter said that efforts had been made to trace the owners of the old Southampton Power Station that had since stopped trading.

He also confirmed that Philips had been notified of proceedings but that as yet it had not replied.

At the inquest the deputy coroner read out a letter from the solicitors detailing his work history. Mr Glenn had started work at 14 and joined the Navy at 20 during the Second World War. In 1944 he became an apprentice pipe-fitter and welder and worked in four power stations including Southampton until 1952.

From 1952 until his retirement in 1985 he worked for Mullards in Southampton which was bought out by Philips while Mr Glenn was employed. A few weeks after Mr Glenn and his wife Violet had celebrated their diamond wedding on the Aurora he was diagnosed with cancer.

He died on March 8 at New Forest Nursing Home, in Fritham, and his wife died just four weeks later. No one at Philips was available for comment.

6:10am Saturday 17th May 2008

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