Mesothelioma

advertisement Ms Marsh was exposed to asbestos when she was 13 playing in the boiler rooms in the basement of her parent's council flat in north London.

She was one of a group of 20 children who congregated in the boiler rooms during the winter evenings.

She said it was covered in asbestos dust but at the time they did not know it was dangerous.

She was also exposed to asbestos later when employed by Islington Borough Council's social services department where she worked on a motorcycle scheme.

She came into contact with the dust when stripping down and sanding asbestos brake pads.

She was never told it could harm her health.

Islington Borough Council admitted liability and has agreed to pay Ms Marsh compensation.

Ms Marsh became one of the first community support officers to be recruited by Sussex Police when she was taken on by the force in 2002.

Last year she won a Sussex Police Award for her "dedication and professionalism" and still works four hours a day despite her illness.

There is no cure for the illness - often associated with former shipyard and factory workers - which can take up to 40 years to develop.

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