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Residents forced out by asbestos leak

Nov 26, 2007 | Lindsay McIntosh | The Scotsman

RESIDENTS of a street blighted by tragedy have been told their belongings are to be destroyed after an asbestos leak forced them out of their homes just weeks before Christmas.

Six households in Fraser Avenue, Inverkeithing - an address dubbed the 'street of death' after a series of accidents in 2004 - have been made homeless after council contractors disturbed lethal dust. Families with young children have been evacuated to hotels with only the clothes on their backs.

One resident, Philip Paterson, 49, said: "Everybody is in shock. They can't believe that something like this could have happened in this day and age. There should have been some inspection of the property before the contractors started work.

"I was told the levels of contamination were low, but, whatever the levels, if you breathe in asbestos fibres, it is a danger to health. There are young children, one as young as four."

Workmen from plumbing firm ECG, based in Blantyre, had been removing cold water tanks from the attic when they unleashed the brown asbestos. No-one from the firm was available for comment yesterday.

Fife Council's housing department said they were told of the problem at about 11am on Wednesday. A total of 12 flats were evacuated and, after intensive tests, six were found to be safe enough for the tenants to be allowed back in.

Those who lived in the others are still in hotels and their belongings that cannot be wiped clean will have to be destroyed in case they are contaminated by asbestos fibres. The residents may need to be tested for the effects of exposure, which can cause cancer of the lung or chest lining.

Alan Russell, Fife Council's senior housing manager, estates services, said he had ordered a full report into the incident to be on his desk on Monday. He said specialists had been brought in to remove items which could be cleaned from the flats, but admitted "a lot of possessions" would have to be destroyed.

Tenants are being offered counselling and financial advice and a meeting was held yesterday to discuss their housing needs. It is hoped they will be in temporary accommodation by Monday and arrangements will be made to replace belongings such as soft furnishings.

Mr Russell said the council hoped to provide the tenants with some normality in the run up to Christmas.

Fraser Terrace gained notoriety after a series of tragic deaths in 2004. Nine-year-old Tamara McIntosh was killed when a drink-driver mounted the pavement in his jeep and crushed her against a wall. A teenage couple, Josie Phillips and Lawrence Vaughan, died following a fire in a flat a few weeks later, while Ross McGarry died in a separate blaze.

One resident said: "It seems to be one thing after another down here, but it's a lot better than it used to be. We don't get nearly as much bother as we used to. I think [the deaths] pulled the community together, but what's happened now is a bit scary."

RESISTANT, BUT DEADLY

THE word asbestos is derived from the Greek for "inextinguishable". The mineral became increasingly popular with builders in the late 19th century because of its resistance to damage. However, inhaling the fibres can cause serious illnesses, including mesothelioma and asbestosis.