Asbestos fire near school prompts investigation

MP Louise Haigh said the waste was dumped and set alight

An investigation is under way after asbestos waste was dumped and set on fire near a nursery school and care home in Sheffield.

Louise Haigh, MP for Sheffield Heeley, said concerned residents contacted her about the "appalling" incident at Kenninghall at the weekend.

Sheffield City Council said the waste had since been removed by a specialist firm and it was exploring whether any CCTV footage or local intelligence could assist in identifying those responsible.

Joe Otten, chair of the environmental services and regulation policy committee at Sheffield City Council, said: "We are committed to ensuring the site is made safe and to preventing similar incidents in future."

According to the local authority, contractors attended the site on Friday to remove part of the waste, with the remainder wrapped and labelled for safe collection.

The council said it regretted that its attempts to get contractors back on Saturday were unsuccessful, leading to the wrapped bundle being set alight in a "deliberate, and criminal, act of arson" over the weekend.

Asbestos was previously used in building materials until it was discovered that inhalation of fibres could cause cancers.

Otten said dumping asbestos waste was "completely unacceptable" and illegal.

"We understand and share the concerns of local residents following the deeply troubling incident at Kenninghall open space, where it appears asbestos sheeting has been dumped," Otten said.

"We recognise the distress this incident has caused, particularly given the proximity to schools, nurseries, and care homes, and the popularity of the space with dog walkers and families."

Otten said council officers were "actively" investigating the incident and working with South Yorkshire Police.

'Hazardous waste'

Haigh, the former secretary of state for transport, said: "It's appalling that someone has dumped hazardous waste on land in Arbourthorne next to homes, a care home and a school.

"I want to see the council use all powers available to establish who dumped this waste and sanction them appropriately."

The council said it had recently launched a campaign as part of its fly-tipping reduction strategy.

It said measures to reduce fly-tipping in the area, such as boulders to reduce access, had been circumvented on this occasion.

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