Family of 5 forced to sleep downstairs when asbestos is found upstairs during repair work
A family of five in the UK has been sleeping downstairs on a mattress after council repairs to their main bedroom ceiling landed a piece of asbestos on the floor on more than one occasion. The company that removed the substance confirmed that it was asbestos.
Since then, Diane Tomlinson, Lenny Broster and their three children – ages 18 months to 5 years – have been living in the downstairs of their home, even though a council worker told the builders to leave because it was too dangerous to continue working.
An air test taken on July 2 revealed that the air inside the home was safe, but Ms. Tomlinson was angry that she and their family were left in the house with potentially lethal asbestos fibers in the air. She wants to know why the air test wasn’t conducted sooner, after the first piece of asbestos was found on June 29. Instead, the windows had been left open and an industrial cleaner had been used before the testing was done. She worries that her children’s health could have been compromised but that they won’t know for many years. Asbestos exposure can lead to scarring of the lung tissue, asbestos-related lung cancer or a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma.
A spokesman for Cheshire West and Chester Council stated that the tenants had been informed of the presence of asbestos and its removal. He also stated that there are procedures for requesting temporary re-housing, and that no formal request from the family was received. As for the timeliness of the air test, the council said that specialists had to be called in, and it took time for the arrangements to be made.
For the full story, go to Ellesmere Port Pioneer.
