Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay more than £50m in damages to the family of a woman who claimed her ovarian cancer was linked to use of the company's talc-based baby powder.

Jurors in the US awarded the family of Jacqueline Fox, from Birmingham, Alabama, $10m of actual damages and $62m of punitive damages following a civil suit, according to the family's lawyers and court records.

Ms Fox, who died at the age of 62 last October, had claimed she had used baby powder for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years before being diagnosed three years ago with ovarian cancer.

She and her family claimed Johnson & Johnson knew of cancer risks from the product and failed to warn consumers.

Johnson & Johnson have denied the claim and is reported to be considering an appeal.

An attorney for Ms Fox said the verdict at the end of a three-week trial was the first such case among more than 1000 nationally to result in a jury’s monetary award.

In a statement after the verdict, Carol Goodrich, a Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman, said: "We have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers, and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial.

"We sympathize with the plaintiff's family but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence."