In an interview with the Independent on Sunday, Mr McLaren’s widow revealed that she believes he may have been exposed to asbestos when renovating Sex, the infamous clothes store he ran with Vivienne Westwood.
Mr McLaren’s widow, Young Kim, also revealed that doctors first noticed signs of mesothelioma two years ago but dismissed the signs as pleural plaques, a benign condition that usually indicates exposure to asbestos.
The punk legend died with his son at his side in a Swiss clinic last week.
This tragic death further highlights the dangers of asbestos and the need to take great care when dealing with it or to use specialist contractors.