Latest Government figures show 276 people in the county died from a form of lung cancer caused by breathing in deadly asbestos fibres between 1981 and 2005.

The mesothelioma deaths have prompted the Health and Safety Executive to launch a new campaign to warn local tradesmen.

Regional director Rosi Edwards said: "Asbestos is Britain's biggest industrial killer. Contrary to what many people believe, the risks are not a thing of the past.

"Asbestos-related illnesses claim the lives of 4,000 people every year – more than die in road accidents.

Asbestos can be found in any building built or refurbished before 2000. Workers most at risk of exposure are those most likely to disturb or damage it such as plumbers, joiners and electricians.

Rushden mayor David Childs is just one the county's victims of asbestos.

Mr Childs died at the age of 57 from a form of lung cancer called mesothelioma just 18 days after becoming the town's mayor in May 2006.

He had worked as a plumber and heating engineer since he was 15 and been exposed to asbestos fibres, unaware of the danger they posed.

His widow, Carol Childs, 61, of The Hedges, Rushden, who has also been left at risk from the disease, is backing a campaign launched today by the Health and Safety Executive, called Asbestos The Hidden Killer, in a bid to save the lives of younger workmen and tradesmen.

She said: "Asbestos killed David, without that he would have been here now.

"I remember him telling me that as a young apprentice they were so ignorant of the dangers of asbestos that they even used to play snowballs with the powder.

"Sometimes I'd meet him after he finished work and his hair would be quite dusty. He'd shake off the dust and I'd kiss him when it was in his hair, which has left me at risk too.

"The doctor says there is no rhyme or reason to these things and to just get on with my life, but it's a worry."

As a young apprentice, part of Mr Childs' work included servicing boilers which involved brushing out the asbestos, taking in a deep breath before blowing away the debris and unknowingly inhaling asbestos fibres.

He would also often replace asbestos sheets on factory roofs and asbestos box guttering, removing old and cracked sheets with a hammer or simply kicking through them.

He first suspected something was wrong when he started suffering breathlessness during a walking holiday to New Zealand in 2005.
Mrs Childs said: "The diagnosis came as an enormous shock.

"David didn't let me see his suffering, if he felt very breathless he'd go outside quietly.

"It was such a terrible time, filled with suffering, and then afterwards you have to face life without your partner.

"It took me ages to actually say mesothelioma. If you see pictures of the lungs rotting away, just how can it do that?"

As well as supporting the campaign, Mrs Childs has raised more than £2,000 for the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team which supported Mr Childs following his diagnosis.