A former hotel manager has won £220,000 in compensation after being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.

Colin Hostein, 62, worked for a brewery as a manager in a variety of hotel buildings around the country between 1967 and 1985. Many of these had dusty boiler rooms with asbestos lagging but he was never warned of the dangers associated with exposure to the harmful substance.

In early 2009, he began to suffer from chest pains and breathlessness. Nine months later, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs which is usually caused by asbestos exposure.

Mr Hostein had to leave his job as a driver for a Jaguar dealer because of the disease. He has undergone four courses of chemotherapy but the prognosis for mesothelioma sufferers is generally bleak, as the disease is usually at an advanced stage by the time symptoms are experienced. He suffers from constant shortness of breath and has fluid in his lungs.

After bringing a claim against his former employer, Mr Hostein won a settlement of £220,000, which will provide for his care needs as his condition deteriorates and give some degree of financial security to his family.