The Nottinghamshire police have found themselves in the unusual position of having to advise thieves to seek medical advice as a result of potential exposure to asbestos during a theft.

The thieves took copper piping from a skip in Nottinghamshire which contractors were using as part of their demolition of a health centre. The skip had been sealed to prevent asbestos dust from inside escaping.

Thieves cut the lock in order to steal the copper pipes, thereby exposing themselves to the asbestos dust.

They are being urged to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of fatal conditions, most notably a form of cancer called mesothelioma, or 'mesothelioma asbestos.'

There have been thousands of deaths as a result of mesothelioma and asbestosis since the 1930s, and medical specialists expect this epidemic to continue for the next 20 years as. It can take 30, 40 and even as long as 60 years before exposure to asbestos leads to an onset of these deadly diseases.

Lyn Harris, a partner at Wilson Nesbitt solicitors in Belfast, Northern Ireland, specialising in injuries and disease connected to exposure to asbestos, commented that "anyone with symptoms who has come into contact with asbestos in the past should see their doctor and contact us."

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