A CHEST consultant urged caution today, after an Evening Press study indicated that the York Carriageworks asbestos timebomb may finally be fizzling out.

An analysis by the paper of York inquests over the past five years has revealed a sharp drop in the number of asbestos-related deaths amongst former carriageworks employees.

Throughout the 1990s, up to half a dozen or more such inquests were held in York each year, involving deaths from illnesses such as mesothelioma.

There were five such cases involving ex-carriageworks employees reported in our paper in 1997, four in 1998 and eight in 1999.

But the number dropped to just one in 2000, and one more last year although there were also cases in 2001 involving the son and the mother of two ex-workers.

There have been no carriageworks cases so far this year, and York Coroner Donald Coverdale confirmed that no more such inquests were currently pending, although there were several asbestos-related deaths involving people who worked elsewhere.

Solicitor Toby Conyers-Kelly, of York firm Hethertons, who has handled many asbestos disease compensation claims by former carriageworks employees over the years, said there had been a noticeable fall-off in the last two years.

"Let us hope it has peaked and we will see relatively few cases in York in future," he said.

But York District Hospital chest consultant Dr John White, who has dealt with many asbestos-related illnesses over the years, advised caution.

He said he would love to think York was seeing the end of such cases, but he suspected there might be more in future.

He said that nationally, numbers of asbestos-related disease were expected to continue rising until 2020.

Mr Coverdale said it would be complacent to believe that the carriageworks' asbestos danger was over.

"From past patterns, I fear we may see more such cases in future."

* Meanwhile, Mr Coverdale said he was intending to hold many inquests in coming weeks to deal with numerous cases waiting to be heard.

Only a handful of inquests have been held since the end of last November, compared to 18 in the same period last year, leading to the build-up of a backlog. The York Coroner's Charter says the coroner aims to hold inquests at the earliest possible date and most in York are held within six months of the death.

Updated: 08:43 Monday, March 18, 2002