Mill-link theory after garden asbestos found

Andrew Robinson

ASBESTOS has been detected in the gardens of homes built on the site of a West Yorkshire mill.

Leeds Council has warned 60 households on the former Springfield Mill site in Gomersal about the presence of asbestos fibres in the soil.

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Tests have confirmed the presence of asbestos in the soil at four houses out of 11 tested on the Forest Bank estate and in part of Springbank Avenue.

Residents are being advised not to let children play with the soil and not to wear garden-soiled clothes in the house.

It is not known how the asbestos got into the soil, but it could be linked to the mill as some textile mills wove asbestos into fabrics.

The council is to carry out further sampling and tests to assess the level of risk.

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A leaflet posted to residents said there was no evidence that the asbestos levels posed a significant health risk.

A council spokesman said residents would have concerns but it wanted to reassure them that, on current information, the health risks were low. “We will not have a full picture until we have carried out further testing.”