Asbestos clean-up ongoing at convent fire site

Specialist contractors are continuing to clean the site of a fire at a disused convent after asbestos was found to be in the building, a councillor says.

Firefighters were called to College Of The Holy Child Jesus on Magdalen Road in St Leonards at about 17:00 BST last Thursday, and contractors have worked to clean the surrounding area over the weekend.

Hastings Borough Council deputy leader Julia Hilton said nearby roads were being cleaned and reopened and a nearby school was safely re-open after an air assessment, which found no asbestos was found in the air.

Two boys aged 13 and 14 were arrested on Friday on suspicion of arson, but have been released on conditional bail, Sussex Police said.

Hilton told BBC Radio Sussex: "If there are large bits of debris in your garden it is best not to touch it.

"Even though the fire was awful, thankfully the library is safe. We are using our museum storage facility to make sure that there's no further damage.

"There was no asbestos in the air and the school was safe to open again, but there is asbestos in the debris."

Asbestos is only a danger when fibres become airborne and are breathed in, and single short-term exposure should not siginifcantly affect your health, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said.

A council spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that asbestos has been confirmed at the disused convent, but specialist contractors were working to dispose of it safely.

Roads surrounding the convent are being cleaned and reopened one-by-one, before the contractors move on to cleaning private properties, Hilton added.

It is believed the fire broke out on the third floor of the former Catholic college, which closed in 1976.

It was later used as a language school before falling into disrepair, although its chapel remains Grade II listed.

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