THE family of a woman who died from mesothelioma are trying to trace her former work colleagues in the hope they can shed light on how she was exposed to asbestos.

Maureen Bell died in February 2005, aged 65, having being admitted to Sunderland Royal Hospital three months earlier for pain relief.

Her family said she was never exposed to asbestos in her private life, and have asked law firm Irwin Mitchell to help find out where the exposure took place.

Mrs Bell left school in 1953, aged 15, and worked for four weeks in a sewing factory known as Hires at Fencehouses, near Chester-le-Street.

During the mid-Sixties, she worked at GEC, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, for two years, producing telephone components, then went on to work at RW Toothill Limited, a Newton Aycliffe furniture manufacturer, for ten weeks.

The rest of her working life was in general stores in Durham, which were unlikely to be the source of asbestos exposure.

Solicitor Neil Wilkinson said: "Mesothelioma claims are very reliant on witnesses coming forward. Mrs Bell's life was cut short due to unnecessary exposure to asbestos, and the family are seeking answers as to why this happened."

People who worked with her are asked to call 0191-279-0100.