Asbestos scare at museum

The whole building will now have to be decontaminated

People who have recently visited the Haig Colliery Mining Museum in Whitehaven have been told they could have been in contact with asbestos.

The museum has been closed since the brown and white asbestos was found during a routine inspection.

The health inspector who visited the site was given access to areas which had previously been inaccessible.

These included a basement area, which was poorly lit and full of rubbish.

The inspector saw what he thought was asbestos-lagging on pipework and this has now been confirmed.

Testing air

Copeland Council is now trying to contact people who have been working there, and also anyone who has recently visited the museum.

Vic Emmerson, the principal environmental health officer said it was possible that the public's health has been endangered.

The whole building will now have to be decontaminated.

That will involve washing and vacuuming all areas, and testing the air for particles of asbestos, whis is an expensive and complicated process.