IN a report of the inquest into the death of William Gardner we incorrectly stated that the coroner gave a verdict of accidental death.

In fact the verdict was death due to industrial disease.

The inquest in Winchester heard how the 80-year-old, of Thornbury Avenue, Blackfield, spent the majority of his career dealing with scaffolding at Fawley, often in an area where pipes had been lagged with asbestos.

He died at his home on July 19 this year.

Senior Hampshire coroner Grahame Short said it was a clear case of mesothelioma, a type of cancer that is specifically linked to asbestos exposure.