Asbestos in garden bin caused risk to crew

North East Lincolnshire Council said the vehicle involved had to be cordoned off

A warning has been issued after asbestos cement was found hidden in a garden waste bin in Grimsby.

North East Lincolnshire Council said it was discovered during Monday morning's garden waste collection.

The vehicle in which the waste was tipped was cordoned off and the authority is trying to identify the person responsible.

Environmental officers urged the public to take care what they put into their bins.

Specialist contractors arranged for the vehicle to be tipped in a safe space and for it to be professionally cleaned to prevent any more health, safety and well-being risks.

The bin crew was offered a welfare check, new personal protective equipment (PPE) and further help if needed, a council spokesperson said.

The authority said the incident posed a health, safety and well-being risk to bin crews, delayed garden waste collections and "caused a high cost due to decontaminating the vehicle and disposing of the contamination".

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, said the bin crew should be praised for being very quick to spot the asbestos.

“At this stage, it is unclear whether the householder involved knew what they were putting into the garden waste bin. They may not have realised that it was asbestos and, therefore, could be dangerous.

“However, it is clear that cement should not be placed in a garden waste bin and I urge residents to be very careful about what they dispose of and how they dispose of it."