Asbestos-related condition led to death of Ashurst Wood woman

AN 87-year-old woman died from a disease relating to asbestos despite never knowingly coming into contact with it.

An inquest sitting at Horsham Coroners Court last week heard how Carolina Van de Ploeg, of Carnsiron Lane, Ashurst Wood died from mesothelioma on March 18.

Mrs Van de Ploeg had a series of health concerns including chronic anaemia, carcinoma of the ovaries and had been a heavy smoker.

She became ill and a CT scan of her heart revealed tissue of mesothelioma epithelioid type.

Earlier this year, the Courier and Observer reported how Mrs Van de Ploeg, who was born in Indonesia but educzated in Holland, had lived in the village for more than four decades.

Her son Ewout Van-Manen described the former journalist and keen sailor as "a strong character with a lot of charm and a zany sense of humour".

Summing up at last Friday's inquest, coroner Penelope Schofield said: "There is no evidence of how she was exposed to this industrial mass.

"Therefore I must record a verdict of death from natural causes."