A POPULAR dance teacher who ran a school for more than 20 years died as a result of asbestos exposure, an inquest heard.

Katrina Jane Earley, 59, died on February 23 this year, a little less than five years after first being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer caused by the exposure to asbestos.

And the inquest into Mrs Earley’s death was held at the Bournemouth Town Hall on November 3.

The inquest heard how Mrs Earley became concerned for her health in 2015 after experience night sweats and becoming increasingly tired.

She was diagnosed with mesothelioma, and after going through treatment for nearly five years, was admitted to the MacMillan unit at Christchurch Hospital in February 2020.

She died in the unit on February 23.

Giving evidence, her husband Andrew said: “It was a complete bolt from the blue. She had only ever worked in an insurance office and as a ballet teacher.”

Mrs Earley ran her dance school from the Beaufort in Bournemouth, starting in 1993.

The inquest heard how the hall had a wooden floor with “loose blocks” which Mr Earley would sometimes have to tape down before dance exams.

In the late 90s, the manager of the community centre approached Mrs Earley to tell her to move out the hall as they found the floor contained asbestos

Mr Earley continued: “Dancing would disturb the loose blocks on the floor.

“That is the only place where we know there was asbestos where she was.”

By the late 90s, and when the floor was repaired, Mrs Earley had more than 200 pupils attending her dance school where she taught tap, jazz and ballet among other genres.

Dorset coroner Brendan Allen said: “From the evidence available to me, Katrina Jane Earley was fit and well and had a physically demanding job.

“She worked as a dance teacher running her own school at the Beaufort Community Centre. It was a successful school and she was there four to five days a week by the late 90s.

“It was around the late 90s that she was approached and told there was asbestos under the flooring.

“The flooring was loose, and the blocks would clearly be disturbed during dance classed and that disturbed the asbestos underneath.

“Mrs Earley was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2015 and on February 6 was admitted to the MacMillan unit where she died on February 23.

“Mrs Earley died as a consequence of industrial disease.”

A Beaufort Community Association spokesman said: "The Beaufort Community Association were very sad to hear of the passing of Katrina Earley who was one of the original supporters and regular hirer of the community centre for many years.

"We have only just been made aware of the inquest and the resultant findings and have not yet been contacted by the coroner's office in relation to this.

"Despite this, we are conducting due diligence and currently liaising with BCP Council who are the owners of the building from which the Beaufort Community Centre is based.

"As a council-owned building, the centre is subject to many regulatory checks, including those for asbestos, and we would like to reassure the public that our centre is fully compliant and is completely safe to use."