Council pays GBP 130,000 for exposure to asbestos

Published on Fri 8 Dec 2006

Hartlepool Borough Council has paid GBP 130,000 to settle claims of exposure to asbestos, reports the Hartlepool Mail.

The claims go back a number of years and cover potential exposure in the town's schools and council buildings.

A council spokesman said:

"We have paid compensation on five occasions, totalling £130,000, where it was claimed that asbestos contributed to people's ill health. These claims date back several years. We also have a further two cases that are pending."

The spokesman stressed that there were now stringent measures in place to protect council staff and the public:

"We have an inventory of where asbestos is located and no work is allowed to proceed where asbestos is located without the full knowledge and permission from our trained officers whose role it is to monitor asbestos."