A HOUSING association is reassuring residents in Worcester that asbestos found in their homes poses no threat to them.

Nexus Housing, part of the West Mercia Housing group, is undertaking work on 50 of its buildings in Saddlers Walk and Goldsmith's Road, Blackpole, to remove the substance.

But the Bromsgrove-based company has said it poses no threat unless it is disturbed and not properly dealt with.

Asbestos is completely safe if left undisturbed. However, it poses a health risk when fibres are airborne and can lodge in the tissue of people's lungs.

Asbestos is the greatest cause of work-related deaths in Britain.

Paul Baker, West Mercia Housing group maintenance manager, said: "We are currently upgrading kitchens and bathrooms across the group's property stock, including homes in the Blackpole area of Worcester.

"As part of the works, we carried out an asbestos survey of each property, which in some cases has confirmed the presence of asbestos containing materials. The presence of asbestos within certain materials is not uncommon in properties built during the 1970s when asbestos was used extensively within the building environment.

"We are now in the process of carefully removing such materials from the properties. A specialist licensed contractor has been employed to carry out the works. This contractor is fully qualified and we can reassure residents that their health and safety will not be compromised. Our contractors have advised that the work will take about two to three hours to complete within each property.

"We anticipate that the works will take six weeks to complete across all the homes affected. Appointments are being made with residents to ensure work on their property is completed at a convenient time."

A worried resident who lives on the Saddlers Walk estate, but did not want to be identified, contacted the Worcester news after workmen told her the substance was being removed from her house.

"I am quite concerned about it," she said.

"Anything you hear about it is quite bad and I'm worried. Workmen said that many of the houses in the area were the same but mine wasn't too bad," she said.