A THREE foot high mound of asbestos has been dumped in a Nelson street.

Residents are concerned about the dangerous substance, which a wagon tipped into Bank House Road on Wednesday, especially as there are families living nearby and a nursery.

Residents in Leeds Road say that Bank House Road, at the back of their street, has been plagued with fly tippers for years after the council knocked down the houses there.

Only a couple of houses in Bank House Road remain occupied but the surrounding streets are lived-in and despite numerous complaints to the council, residents say the problem is getting worse.

Six council workers in white protective suits attended the scene on Thursday afternoon and put a cover over the asbestos and brought a huge skip, but as yet, it has not been removed.

One resident in Leeds Road said: “This street has just been left derelict after they pulled the houses down and rubbish is being dumped here all the time. The state of it is awful. There’s grates falling down and holes all over the road. It’s awful.

“But when a wagon showed up and just tipped a load of asbestos in the road, I just couldn’t believe it. It’s getting ridiculous and I’ve complained about it a number of times.”

“It’s a massive pile of asbestos. The winds are blowing and Bradley Nursery is just there to the side of it. Who knows the damage it could cause.”

Pendle Council said that they did not know who was responsible for dumping the asbestos there but that they would return to the street to remove it completely as soon as possible.

Bradley ward councillor, Mohammed Iqbal said: “Dumping asbestos here is just despicable. There’s a lot of children in that area and a nursery school nearby and it could be dangerous.

“There is an issue in that street with fly tipping and an issue with the road itself. I am meeting on site next week with the county council to ensure that something is done about it.

“In the meantime, the council need to get the asbestos removed immediately and find out who was responsible.”