A labourer's sudden death from a disease commonly associated with asbestos poisoning has prompted his widow to appeal for answers.

Brian Dowse, who was born in Poplar before moving to Dagenham, died in June last year, aged 75, just six weeks after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

His widow Linda Dowse believes his illness was caused due to asbestos exposure when he worked at builders R Woollaston & Co, in Romford Road, Stratford, as a labourer between 1962 and 1987.

Mrs Dowse, who was married to Brian for 25 years, said: "He started working there after leaving school at 15 and he said he wanted to be a painter and decorator.

"Well, they had to do an apprenticeship first and for Brian, and lots of other East End boys, that was being paid to go out and clear the old bomb sites from the war.

"These days there is proper protection such as wearing masks but back then nobody knew any better."

The family are appealing for any former employees at the now defunct firm to come forward.

Mesothelioma often develops decades after somebody has been exposed to asbestos and it killed 2,446 people in Britain during 2018, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

Mrs Dowse said: “I can't come up with any answers as I didn't know him back then and he never had any children.

“Brian was such a nice man, nobody had a bad word to say about him. When he went on to do the painting and decorating, he worked in the chauffer's lodges at Buckingham Palace and the Raven's den at the Tower of London."

The couple met while both on separate holidays in Weymouth and went on the spend 25 years of marriage together.

Mrs Dowse added: “It was such a shock when he got the diagnosis and it all happened so fast - I just couldn't hack it, I still can't I suppose."

Working with asbestos is the most prevalent cause of mesothelioma and is likely to affect tradesmen who were exposed to it in manual jobs or factories, which were common in the East End of London.

The charity Hasag, which supports asbestos disease sufferers in London and the south-east, said it sees 700 diagnosed patients each year.

Founder Lynne Squib said: “We do sadly see many people across the region who have spent years working in the demolition or construction industries.

“There is no cure and limited treatment for the disease and, when the diagnosis comes late it can be a very quick illness - especially during Covid when a lot of the symptoms can be similar."

The Dowse family is being supported in their appeal by Thompsons Solicitors, which brought about the first successful asbestos claim to the House of Lords in 1972.

If you worked at R Woollaston & Co around the same time as Mr Dowse, call 0207 290 0056 or email jackiewood@thompsons.law.co.uk with information.

For asbestos disease related support, visit hasag.co.uk.