05/11/2010 - Asbestos found in Hastings Pier
Workers clearing dangerous debris from the burnt-out Hastings Pier have discovered asbestos, it has emerged.
An engineer is working alongside specialist sub-contractors to work out how they can safely remove the potentially harmful material from the East Sussex pier, which dates back to 1872.
Council officials have assured staff there have been no recordings of concentrations of hazardous particles in the air picked up by a special monitoring device.
The pier is thought to have been set alight by arsonists last month and as contractors got ready to clear away unsafe sections this week, they found the asbestos.
Emergency powers are being used by Hastings Borough Council to remove debris because the pier's Panama-registered owner, Ravenclaw, has failed to take action.
Council spokesman Kevin Boorman said: "In the course of preliminary work, our contractors have identified that there is some asbestos in the remains of one of the buildings.
"They have already appointed specialist sub-contractors, and they are now working with the engineer to identify a safe method of removing this material.
"This is not being made any easier by the dangerous nature of the pier, particularly in the area where the asbestos has been found."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
Related links
|
