Giving evidence about the blaze, Paul Raymond, from Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service, said when it broke out on June 24, 1983, crews were not immediately warned of asbestos in the building roof.

Firefighters called to tackle a massive blaze in Telford 25 years ago were not immediately aware of the risk of asbestos, an inquest heard.

Mother-of-three Ellen Paddock, 31, died on July 22 last year after battling an asbestos-related cancer. At the age of seven, thinking it was snow, she played in ashes which fell in Telford following the fire at the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) ordnance depot in Donnington.

The inquest, which opened in Shrewsbury yesterday, heard Miss Paddock could also have been exposed to asbestos through her father, who came into contact with it while working at engineering company Rubery Owen in Wrexham and could have brought dust home on his clothes.

Before her death, Miss Paddock launched legal proceedings to sue the MoD and Rubery Owen for a six-figure sum.

Giving evidence about the blaze, Paul Raymond, from Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service, said when it broke out on June 24, 1983, crews were not immediately warned of asbestos in the building roof.

He said: “The major concern for officers on the ground was not whether there was asbestos or not, but the large number of toxic and radioactive chemicals we knew were in the building.”

He said he believed the fire service found out about the asbestos through Wrekin Council, the local authority at the time, whose workers began a massive clear-up operation in protective clothing.

When asked by Mid and North Shropshire coroner Mr John Ellery if lessons had been learned from the Donnington blaze, Mr Raymond said awareness levels about what materials were contained within buildings had improved.

Consultant physician Dr Robin Rudd told the inquest any amount of exposure to asbestos could put someone at risk of mesothelioma, a form of cancer.

He said Miss Paddock, who contracted mesothelioma and had a malignant tumour in her abdomen, underwent chemotherapy and endured hospital stays.

A statement by Dr Rudd, read to the hearing, said: “It’s unlikely dust brought home by her father would have materially increased the risk she would have developed mesothelioma.

“It’s more likely the dust to which she was exposed as a result of the MoD fire would have materially increased the risk she would develop mesothelioma.”

The inquest continues.

By Lizzie Yates