LAWYERS have secured £12,000 for a hospice as part of the settlement for the family of a former PE teacher who died of cancer.

Brian York, 63, died in December 2015 after losing his battle with mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to exposure to asbestos decades earlier.

He had been an inpatient at St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne for two months before his death.

The hospice has now received £12,022.55 from lawyers Irwin Mitchell as part of a legal case.

This comes after Brian was exposed to asbestos whileworking as a PE teacher and head of year at Imberhorne School in East Grinstead and the money is from the school’s insurers.

Irwin Mitchell acted on behalf of his widow Clair, 61, of Uckfield, to secure the substantial sum in relation to the cost of Brian’s care at St Wilfrid’s Hospice.

The funds recovered on behalf of the hospice follow a landmark ruling in a 2010 case which ruled that the insurers of a company responsible for the death of a worker from an asbestos-related disease should contribute to the cost of the care provided to the victim by their hospice.

Clair, a former teacher, said: “The staff at St Wilfrid’s provided invaluable support when we needed it most.

“I’m pleased that Irwin Mitchell was able to recover this money on behalf of the hospice so that it can continue the vital work it does for people across the region.

“Brian too really wanted to ensure that the hospice recovered its costs as both of us felt so strongly that it should be rewarded for all its hard work and dedication.”

In addition to the donation, Clair volunteers at the hospice as a ward clerk on a regular basis, and has taken part in sponsored events to raise funds to support St Wilfrid’s.

Clair has also worked alongside the Hampshire Asbestos Support and Awareness Group (Hasag) to launch a monthly coffee morning support group at the Civic Centre in Uckfield, which held its first meeting last month.

Hasag provides free support, guidance and information to people with asbestos diseases and the charity runs regular coffee mornings across the South of England and Home Counties.