Boiler tycoon died from breathing in asbestos over 50 years ago
THe heating firm tycoon who founded Worcester Bosch died from cancer after breathing in asbestos in the early days developing his famous boilers, his wife claims.
Multi-millionaire Cecil Duckworth CBe helped develop the world’s first combination boilers at his UK factory in the 1960s.
The success of the boilers, which did away with the need for immersion tanks, saw his Worcester company grow rapidly and it was sold to the German multinational for £30million in 1992.
Before his death last month at 83, Mr Duckworth, who was chairman of Premiership rugby club Worcester Warriors, featured in the sunday Times Rich List of Britain’s wealthiest individuals.
An inquest heard he died from cancer caused by malignant pulmonary mesothelioma which developed in his lungs.
It was told the cancer is commonly caused by inhaled asbestos fibres which catch in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart.
Mr Duckworth’s widow Beatrice, 82, says she believes her husband probably inhaled the fibres during the early days making the combi boilers in Worcester. Asbestos was often used as insulation in casing fitted to the sides of the first boilers to improve efficiency.
speaking after the inquest at Worcestershire Coroner’s Court, Mrs Duckworth said: ‘It must have been something which he picked up when he was first making the boilers and it lay dormant all these years.
‘It was unexpected, it only materialised in the past two or three years. He had no idea, it was just very unfortunate. He had one day’s illness in his life, he had remarkable health so this came as a total shock.’
Mr Duckworth, who was appointed a CBe in 2013 for his charity contributions, introduced the first combi boilers in 1970.
They were instantly popular and Worcester engineering Co Ltd was later bought by Bosch, with Mr Duckworth remaining with the company until he retired in 1996.
He also had a property development company and built up an estimated fortune of £40million.
He helped turn his local rugby club into one of the country’s top sides and became one of the UK’s biggest philanthropists, supporting many charities in his area including Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Thousands lined the streets of Worcester for his funeral last month, when his coffin was driven past the Warriors’ sixways stadium and the factory where boilers are still produced to this day.
each year more than 2,600 are diagnosed with malignant pulmonary mesothelioma, which the NHs says is ‘rarely possible to cure’.