Suspected asbestos left in Milton Keynes for weeks

Potentially lethal suspected asbestos was ignored for six weeks by MK Council after it was dumped near a footpath.

Despite being identified as too “hazardous” to handle by the council’s own contractors, no action was taken to remove the old boiler cupboard door.

This week, six weeks after a member of public reported the problem, the council finally agreed to remove it.

Their excuse was that they had the wrong address.

“I just hope they haven’t put us all in danger” said the resident who reported the item dumped on Beadlemead, Netherfield, at the end of October.

He contacted the council to say there was a door thickly lined with a fibrous substance he believed was asbestos.

It had been dumped next to a pile of old catalogues. Contractors Serco came out and took the catalogues but left the door.

“I’ve done a construction course, so I know about the dangers of inhaling asbestos fibre. I contacted the council again to ask why it had been left when it was in such a public place,” said the resident.

“The stuff looked just like asbestos. It was dumped right near a footpath which is one of the main routes that children take to school. I think it was a real danger to the public.”

He received an email reply from a customer service advisor on November 2.

It stated Serco needed a “special hazard crew” to remove the door and promised: “It is on their list to do”.

The Citizen asked the council why, weeks later, the door was still there. Within days it was removed.

A spokesman for Milton Keynes Council told the Citizen: “We did go out there but it wasn’t at the original address but now that we have the proper one it should be cleared in a matter of days.”

However, residents were quick to spot the flaw.

One neighbour said: “They must have had the right location or they wouldn’t have picked up the dumped catalogues. And, if they had the wrong place, how did they know the door needed a special crew?”