Asbestos

It has to be disposed of in an approved way. If it is not disturbed or the sheets damaged in any way it's pretty safe to leave it.

If you know it's definitely asbestos I think the Council has a duty to remove it.

Most asbestos is safe. The dangerous type is blue asbestos that was used for insulation on a lot of council and commercial buildings and housing in the 1960s and 70s.

Having said that, you do still need to be careful with any asbestos because you cannot be absolutely sure what it is. Th general rule is if the asbestos is in position and is not going to be disturbed then leave it. Our house has an internal garage and the ceiling has asbestos sheeting on it. We simply put two coats of thick ceiling paint on it and have left it. However if we had to disturb it in any way, we would get in specialist contractors to remove it and not do it ourselves. However, on safety grounds I think I would want asbestos in a garden and exposed to the elements removed especially if children ever played in it.

You do not say whether you own or rent your home. If you own it, speak to a chartered surveyor and then employ a qualified person to come and assess the problem and recommend solutions. If yoo rent the flat and it is council or housing association owned, speak to them and draw their attention to it and demand action, otherwise speak to your local CAB (Citizen's Advice Bureau). The address and contact details will be available online, in a telephone directory or your local Library or Council offices can tell you where it is and ask them. They can advise you on the position if you have a private landlord.

We are in France. Our first house here had a roof which we eventually found out was made of an an asbestos blend. We sold that house, and the buyer knew about it but wasn't worried.
We did some enquiries at the time and evidently it's only if the asbestos is damaged that there's a risk. So if you decide to remove it you need to employ a specialist firm, and it's quite expensive. The workers have to wear protective clothing, and dispose of it by a specially enclosed method.
I should imagine the same applies in the UK.

Check it out with the environmental bods at the council.

Some of my work colleagues worked in a different building from me - there was known to be asbestos there, and they were told not to put drawing pins in the walls. 8 of the 12 workers now have cancers, 2 have already died.

I would get an asbestos removal firm ( or at least a quote ) to remove it, under licence.

We bought a house which instead of plasterboard was constructed with asbestos boarding. We employed a specialist firm to remove it, by gutting the house. All the parts were put in a locked skip, the house was sealed and a special vacuum system remove particles.

Whilst there is an argument for saying some types iare safe if undisturbed, yours has already been broken into pieces.

Personally I would not take the risk and I did a lot of research on the subject.

x

Don`t take any chances, get it removed by the right people. My FIL worked at an asbestos firm many years ago, before the dangers became common knowledge, and it came back to bite him years later, when he died of asbestosis. It`s not worth the risk.

Thanks all of you for your advice. I shall get professional help.

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