The widow of a factory worker has won an interim settlement of £50,000 after her husband died of an asbestos-related disease.

Alan Bickle, 58, worked for over 30 years for a cigarette filter manufacturer, until he was made redundant seven years ago. During his working life he was exposed to asbestos.

Five years after he left the company, Mr Bickle started to experience pain in his right lung. A scan revealed that he was suffering from mesothelioma, a relatively rare incurable cancer of the lining of the lung.

When asbestos fibres enter the body, they can cause healthy cells to mutate into cancerous cells. These can lie dormant for many years before a victim shows any signs of illness. It is not unusual for the beginning stages of mesothelioma to appear 30 years or so after the initial exposure.

In the later stages of the disease Mr Bickle suffered greatly and was afraid to go to bed in case he died there.

Just a year after his diagnosis, Mr Bickle died and his wife pursued the claim against his former employer to win justice for her husband.

Although the company initially denied liability, it decided not to defend the claim just minutes before the case was due to be heard. The High Court ordered that it make an interim payment of £50,000 to Mrs Bickle, with the full value of her claim to be determined at a future date.