A MOTHER was horrified to find bags of asbestos waste dumped just yards away from homes and a Bicester playing field.

Julie Davis discovered three bags of asbestos while helping her 14-year-old daughter on her paper round in Old Place Yard.

Bags were left outside three homes by contractors working for Charter Community Housing, which owns the properties.

The asbestos insulation had been removed from homes during work to update bathrooms.

Mrs Davis said she reported the dumping three weeks ago to Charter Community Housing, Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Valley Police.

However, the substance, which was left in red bags with asbestos warnings on them, was only removed by Charter Community Housing on Monday, following a call from the Oxford Mail.

Mrs Davis said: “I think it’s shocking these bags were left lying at the side of the pavement for three weeks.

“Children play at the nearby Pingle Field and the area is full of people getting into town. At our fireworks event there were lots of people milling in the area.

“I’ve spoken to one of the residents where the bags were dumped outside and the contractors dumped them after doing up their bathrooms.

“It’s illegal and should have been removed immediately.”

After Mrs Davis reported the problem on October 31 she said some nearby waste was removed, but not the asbestos.

She believes the company mistakenly removed the wrong bags.

John Mara, 88, lives at one of the homes in Old Place Yard where a bag of asbestos was left outside.

He said: “I’ve just had a new toilet installed and I think the substance came from the old pipes.

“I know it’s supposed to be dangerous so I called up Charter Community Housing and told them to take it away, but they have just ignored me.

“It’s been in my bathroom for 30 years so I don’t think it can be too bad.”

Charter Community Housing Gareth Holmes spokesman said: “In accordance with Government legislation, only approved contractors with a special licence can remove asbestos materials.

“The bags are fully sealed and clearly identified and are normally picked up the same day. As soon as we were made aware of the uncollected bags on Friday, we immediately contacted our contractor and they removed them on Monday.”

There are three main types of asbestos — Crocidolite (blue), Amosite (brown) and Chrysotile (white).

The most dangerous types are blue and brown asbestos.

Asbestos can be lethal if it is disturbed and fibres are inhaled, leading to the development of respiratory diseases, particularly asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

The substance was widely used in the UK construction industry for building insulation and to insulate railway carriages and ships.

Its use was finally banned in the UK in 1985 amid increasing concern at the number of deaths linked to the mineral.

The Health & Safety Executive says it is implicated in about 4,000 deaths a year in the UK.

Doctors first warned of the hazards of asbestos in the 1920s.The Health & Safety Executive launched a safety campaign earlier this month, called Hidden Killer, to warn tradesmen and the public about the dangers of asbestos in buildings.

For more details, see hse.gov.uk/asbestos/ hiddenkiller/index.htm