Former Magpies player died of cancer linked to asbestos

THE family of a former Notts County player have launched an appeal fol- lowing his death from cancer.

- By RUCSANDRA MOLDOVEANU

John Froggatt died aged 79 from mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer. Below, in his younger days

John Froggatt was 79 when he died from mesothelioma, a terminal lung cancer that is “almost always” caused by exposure to asbestos, according to the NHS.

Mr Froggatt worked as a painter and decorator for Ashfield Decorators Limited in Sutton-in-Ashfield from 1962 to 1974 while playing for Notts County, Ilkeston Town, Buxton and Boston United.

The firm was a subsidiary of a building company called J Searson Limited.

In his job, Mr Froggatt was exposed to the deadly material while decorating buildings, such as the Sutton Centre, which included a school, ice rink, theatre and sports hall.

Until 1999, when asbestos was banned, the material was widely used in construction because of its fire-resistant and insulating properties. Public buildings, such as schools, were built using a prefabricated system which is known to have contained asbestos.

Mr Froggatt and his colleagues mixed asbestos with water to make insulation to spray on to the building’s girders and pipes, with solicitors claiming he was working in “clouds” of asbestos fibres.