A 66-year-old former engineer is dying of cancer after accidentally eating asbestos fibres in his lunchtime sandwiches, it has been claimed.

Retired grandfather-of-five Trevor Jones from Brechin in Angus, Scotland, was diagnosed with mesothelioma last December and doctors told him he developed it after ingesting asbestos dust. Mr Jones had worked in communications alongside cable layers who drilled through walls lined with asbestos – although he says he was never told he was working in an area with the deadly fibres.

Grandfather Trevor Jones  from Brechin in Angus, Scotland, was diagnosed with mesothelioma last December – doctors have told him he probably developed it after accidentally ingesting asbestos dust. He now suffers from peritoneal mesothelioma which affects the lining of the stomach and is caused by accidentally ingesting the asbestos dust.

The father-of-three said he was ‘stunned’ when doctors told him he had mesothelioma following a routine bowel screening test. Mr Jones said: ‘I would sit in my work clothes eating sandwiches at my desk or in the canteen. If any asbestos fell on your clothes, you brushed it off casually with your hands not knowing the danger.

‘We were never warned that we worked in an area with asbestos. I certainly never thought this cancerous substance could be swallowed and cause cancer.’

By Keiligh Baker for MailOnline