It was noted that asbestos was 'heavily used' in shipbuilding in the past but is not a part of common practice in the present day. Over the years, links to asbestos have been uncovered as the cause of death for some shipbuilders from Barrow. Last month, an inquest heard that 90-year-old Derek Gawne was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2024 after a long career in the town's shipyard. An inquest was told that Mr Thompson had spent most of his life working at Vickers where there was an ‘unbelievably dangerous exposure’ to asbestos. This followed the formation of the Cumbria and Lancashire Asbestos Support Advice Group, which organises meetings for peer support and advice.