Children have been found building sandcastles with pieces of material feared to be asbestos on a beach from the site of an old power station leading to concerns in the area, Wales Online has reported.
An investigation has now been launched into reports of asbestos being found on Burry Port beach from the site of the former Carmarthen Bay Power Station.
According to Burry Port deputy mayor Mike Theodoulou, there is “growing evidence” of the material on the Welsh beach. He says that young children building sandcastles on the beach were also found decorating them what residents say is “flaking, dusty pieces” of asbestos, which can make it especially dangerous.
However, Carmarthenshire council have insisted that the material posed “very little risk”.
Mr Theodoulou said;
“I think it is a huge problem and I am angry about this, I’m not going to let it go because children are playing on the beach and there’s evidence that they are using crumbling and flaking asbestos to decorate their sandcastles.”
“It’s a ridiculous situation, it’s been reported to me by two members of the community who were very concerned, took samples from our beach, sent them off to a laboratory in Bristol, at their own expense, and the results proved that it was asbestos and they have the reports.
There has been no investigation to establish how dangerous this may or may not be and no attempt to put up signs and notices to warn people using the beach.”
He said that he has met with some very concerned people in the area and was grateful that that the person who spotted the children thankfully intervened.