A large barn fire in Bedfordshire on 1st December provides a stark warning to the dangers of asbestos found in old buildings. 40 firefighters were called in to tackle the blaze and the Environment Agency was also called in to begin an investigation.

A spokeswoman said: "The Environment Agency has been involved to examine fuel which has leaked from the oil tank and to consider the implications of asbestos which reportedly is part of the barn building fabric. 

"It is not uncommon for asbestos to be found in old buildings. It becomes hazardous when airborne such as when heated in a fire," she added.

Lyn Harris, a partner at Wilson Nesbitt solicitors in Belfast, Northern Ireland, specialising in injuries and disease connected to exposure to asbestos, commented that "asbestos exposure may not manifest itself as harmful for years after exposure and we would strongly urge anyone with symptoms who has come into contact with this material in the past to see their doctor and to contact us."

Ms Harris is accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers as a senior litigator and Wilson Nesbitt is an accredited practice.