Asbestos-related death leads to Marquess of Bath being sued for £200K

The Marquess of Bath is facing a £200K lawsuit by widow Sally Keyse, 80, of Westbury, who claims that her husband, Allan Keyse, died from mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos while working on the Longleat Estate.

Photo by Alison Day

Mr. Keyse, a maintenance man, died at 84 on August 7, 2019. His family claims that he was exposed to asbestos during his time working for Alexander Thynn, the 7th Marquess of Bath, at the Longleat Estate in Wiltshire.

Sally Keyse claims her husband wasn’t given warning or protection

Mr. Keyse worked for the Marquess from 1961 to 1970, during which time he refurbished and maintained the estate, including the main house, cottages, and barns. According to Mrs. Keyse, the estate’s buildings contained asbestos and Mr. Keyse’s work included demolishing buildings, loading broken asbestos sheets onto a lorry, and sweeping up asbestos debris.

A High Court claim states that Keyse was exposed to asbestos during the installation of a corrugated roof for a barn at the estate. The work on the asbestos roof included cutting and drilling sheets of asbestos.

During a two-year stint that began in 1966, Mr. Keyse worked on the main house, where he was not exposed to asbestos.

Mrs. Keyse also claims that her husband would be covered in asbestos dust while destroying outbuildings. She says he was never warned about the dangers of asbestos exposure or given protective equipment.

Allan Keyse’s mesothelioma diagnosis

Mr. Keyse’s mesothelioma symptoms began in 2018 with breathlessness, followed by back pain. In February 2019, he was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. He had fluid drained from his lung and was prescribed antibiotics for an infection. However, he wasn’t in good enough health to undergo chemotherapy, and morphine was required to control the pain. He died later that year.

Mrs. Keyse accuses the Marquess of Bath and Whitley Marketing Services, a company that employed her husband, of negligent exposure to asbestos, exposure to a major risk of fatal injury, and neglecting to warn him of the risks or provide him with protective gear.

Mrs. Keyse is taking legal action against the Marquess’ son, Ceawlin Thynn, who is married to celebrity Emma Thynn. Ceawlin inherited the title of Marquess after his father’s passing in April 2020.

The claim was issued by Anthony Waddington from Simpson Millar. The Marquess will be defending against Mrs. Keyse’s claim.