Woman, 66, killed by asbestos after washing her husband's overalls 40 years ago Yvonne Moaby died of lung cancer mesothelioma in May 2010 She developed the disease after washing husband John's overalls when he was repairing and stripping asbestos-filled storage heaters in the 1960s Mr Moaby, 71, has been awarded £187,000 in compensation in an out-of-court settlement by his former employer Experts say secondary exposure is increasingly becoming a legal wrangle A retired electrician has been awarded £187,500 after his wife died from exposure to the asbestos dust on his work overalls. Mother-of-three Yvonne Moaby, 66, contracted the incurable lung cancer mesothelioma while husband John was repairing and stripping out storage heaters for four years in the 60s. She was diagnosed in 2009 and died at her home in Quenington, Gloucestershire, in May 2010. Retired electrician, John Moaby, 71, has received £187,000 in compensation because his wife died of mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos on his overalls Mr Moaby, 71, secured the payment after the case went to the High Court. He said: "It is nice [to have the money] but you can't put a value on someone's life. It's taken such a long time and a lot of heartache.' The Moaby's case was eventually settled out of court, with SSE plc (formerly Scottish & Southern Energy) agreeing the compensation figure. Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that became a popular building material in the 1950s. Widely used as insulation and a fire-deterrent, it also found its way into products such as ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, boilers, sprayed coatings and garage roof tiles. Mesothelioma has a very strong association with exposure to asbestos. The disease affects the lining of the lungs and is almost always fatal, with survival from point of diagnosis is usually just 18 months. There were over 2,300 deaths from mesothelioma in the UK in 2009 - more than from cervical cancer or malignant melanoma. Deadly: Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that became a popular building material in the 1950s Twice as many people die from asbestos exposure in Britain as are killed on the roads, according to a recent All Party Parliamentary Group report. And mesothelioma incidence is still rising due to the long "time lag" between exposure and the development of the disease - typically between 30 and 40 years. Mesothelioma is much less common in women - men account for 80 per cent of cases - they tend to work less in industry so have had less exposure. "Asbestos fibres seem to alter the way in which cells multiply and divide," explains Dr John Moore-Gillon, an Honorary Medical Adviser at the British Lung Foundation. Even a small amount of asbestos exposure - from clothes, for example - is enough. Indeed, secondary exposure is increasingly becoming a legal and insurance wrangle, says Christine Winter of the Independent Asbestos Training Providers, which champions safety and awareness when working with asbestos. She said: "Unfortunately there is a real injustice of compensation pay outs for this area." Describing his wife as an unsung hero who worked tirelessly for the community, Mr Moaby said three years on he had still not recovered from losing her. He said: 'Yvonne was an angel. She was my rock. 'Long before her illness she said to me "If I go first, don't sit around and vegetate - find someone else." 'She was always there for me and it's only now I realise what she did.' He added they had managed to secure a £50,000 compensation payment while Yvonne was alive, which the couple spent on two exotic cruises before she became too ill to go away. John said: 'She never complained once. She just kept saying 'I'm not going anywhere. She kept her looks and looked just as young as she did before she was ill. Although Yvonne spent some time at a hospice in Swindon, she spent her last days at home surrounded by her family and friends.