AN Exmoor man died from a cancer caused by asbestos - but mystery surrounded how he could have developed it, an inquest heard.

Senior Somerset Coroner Samantha Marsh concluded the death of Nicholas Parry was due to mesothelioma.

The disease develops from exposure to asbestos, usually as a result of somebody’s occupation.

But Mrs Marsh heard there was insufficient evidence to establish that Mr Parry had any occupational exposure to asbestos.

London-born Mr Parry, a retired HM Customs and Excise officer who was aged 72, died in Williton Community Hospital on January 12.

He lived in the village of Wheddon Cross with his wife Sally, a retired intelligence officer.

Mrs Marsh, sitting in the Old Municipal Buildings, Taunton, said the medical cause of Mr Parry’s death was ‘epithelioid mesothelioma’, which had a 10 to 12 per cent five-year survival rate, with sufferers typically living between four and 18 months from diagnosis.