Grandmother diagnosed with incurable cancer after childhood asbestos exposure

Rose Hall, 66, has been diagnosed with mesothelioma linked to asbestos she says was under her school stage while rehearsing as a child and she settled a claim with Leeds City Council; officials say identified asbestos in schools is inspected annually and is managed following Health and Safety Executive guidance.

Rose Hall, 66, has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and says the exposure occurred when she was a pupil rehearsing under a school stage. She started showing symptoms years later and was diagnosed in 2019. Ms Hall sued Leeds City Council and received an undisclosed settlement after asbestos was found at her former school, which was later demolished and rebuilt. National guidance continues to say intact asbestos is managed in place rather than automatically removed. Known details: - Rose Hall reports going under the stage during rehearsals aged 11 and was later diagnosed with mesothelioma; she is about to start chemotherapy. - Ms Hall brought a claim against Leeds City Council and received an undisclosed sum; Allerton Grange school was demolished and rebuilt in 2009 after asbestos was identified. - Leeds City Council said 70 of its 97 schools have identified asbestos and that those materials are inspected annually by qualified professionals. - The Department for Education says it follows Health and Safety Executive advice that intact asbestos-containing materials are generally managed in place when they are unlikely to be disturbed. Summary: This account highlights long latency between exposure and diagnosis and the personal and legal consequences for individuals involved. A separate High Court case in West Yorkshire has an admission of liability but damages remain to be agreed. Undetermined at this time.