Syd was a joiner all his working life and he loved it, but little did he know that the work he was so passionate about would kill him. Syd died from mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibres.

Syd died shortly before his 73rd birthday, just three short months after he was diagnosed.

Despite being extremely ill herself, Betty, 74 years, wants to tell her husband's story in support of a national Health and Safety Executive (HSE) campaign - "Asbestos: The Hidden Killer", which aims to educate today's tradesmen about the dangers of asbestos.

Today more than 500,000 workplace buildings may contain asbestos and many more domestic premises could contain it. Asbestos-related disease now accounts for around 4,000 deaths a year, the biggest single cause of work related deaths. HSE advises that asbestos is only dangerous if disturbed, and with their Asbestos: The Hidden Killer campaign they are targeting the tradesgroups who have been identified as most at risk, including joiners like Syd.

Like many tradesmen at the time, Syd worked with asbestos and never knew the risks. After his apprenticeship and two years national service, Syd started work as a joiner in 1954, building army camps on the beach near South Shields. The camps were constructed from asbestos boards because of the shortage of wood at that time. He continued to work as a very successful joiner being self-employed for the last 25 years of his working life.

Syd used to cut the sheets of asbestos and carry them on his shoulders - with no mask or protective clothing. He never received any training or information about the deadly substance he was coming into contact with every day.

Betty described her husbands last days:

"It was the most terrible death. He was screaming in pain, the most awful scream. By the end, he was on constant oxygen and he looked like a skeleton.

"Syd didn't even have the comfort of being held because it was too painful. He flinched when I touched him because he was in agony. I stayed with him every night in hospital during his last week.

"It broke my heart watching him die."

Mesothelioma can take anywhere from 15 to 60 years before it becomes active and starts attacking the external lining of the lungs. The majority of sufferers die within one or two years of being diagnosed.

Until just weeks before his diagnosis, Syd lived a very active life, Betty explained:

"Syd always loved life, his diary was always full. I remember when I first met him at a dance - he was a beebopper with bright yellow socks! Until his diagnosis, we loved to dance and go on holiday - just have fun together and with our friends and family.

"Syd was happiest outdoors cycling, walking and fishing. Just the month before his diagnosis, he cycled from Edinburgh to Newcastle! I think that's why he lasted so long - because he was so active and fit.

"He was a proud man and didn't like to trouble the doctor but I persuaded him to go when he became increasingly breathless doing simple tasks such as mowing the lawn.

"When I saw the x-ray and saw the tumour I nearly died - it covered his whole lung. It turns out that one side of his lungs was not taking in any air at all."

His death had an enormous impact on his close-knit family, particularly on his three daughters and his grandsons, now 12 and 13 years old. The two boys spent some time living with their great grandparents so they looked to Syd as a father figure. Betty wishes that Syd could have met their great grandson - she knows he would have enjoyed time with him.

Betty wished to pass on the following advice to today's tradesmen:

"I want to highlight that there is no cure for mesothelioma. There is treatment to alleviate the symptoms but there is no cure. You only need to be exposed to asbestos for a very short time for it to cause mesothelioma.

"Find out if there is asbestos in the building you are working in and if there is then make sure you use the correct protective equipment and clothing.

Betty would like to highlight the fantastic work of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund Group and the support they have and continue to provide her.