7 hours ago

Mark Ansell and

Steve Jones, Yorkshire

Handout

Rick Oakes, pictured here with his wife Rachel, died from a rare cancer linked to asbestos

The widow of a former Kirklees Council worker who died from cancer caused by exposure to asbestos through his job has received more than £1m in compensation.

Rick Oakes, from York, died in 2024 aged 67, having been diagnosed with mesothelioma two years earlier.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell established the dad-of-four's exposure to asbestos and subsequent illness was linked to his work as a joiner in schools in Kirklees years earlier.

Kirklees Council, which accepted a breach of duty, said it took its health and safety responsibilities "extremely seriously", adding: "Our practices have changed significantly as working practices have evolved."

After raising more than £20,000 for charities Mesothelioma UK, SARAG, St Leonard's Hospice and Marie Curie UK, Rick's widow, Rachel, said she wants to use his case to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos in public…