The owners of York's former Monroe factory were urged today to hold a public meeting to address residents' worries about asbestos.

Rawcliffe councillor Mark Waudby called for Tenneco Automotive UK to talk to people living near the factory in Manor Lane to put their minds at ease.

His call followed revelations last that white asbestos in the roof of a hangar was damaged in the 1980s, potentially exposing workers to asbestos dust.

The Health and Safety Executive has served a prohibition notice on the company, temporarily banning work in an area where the dust has been found on the ground.

People still working at Monroes in February before it closed down were given a company memo explaining full details of the asbestos discovery, but ex-employees and nearby residents have been told nothing.

A resident of Manor Park Road, who asked not to be named but who said she used to be a team leader at Monroe's, said: "I haven't been told anything, and I think I should have been. I am concerned about my health and I will be seeing my doctor as soon as I can. I've been speaking to some other people who worked there, and they're all the same. One of them has already been to the doctor's. I worked there for 14 years and I live right behind the factory. Of course I'm concerned, and not knowing what's going on makes that worse."

Another woman, who also asked not to be named but who has lived beside the factory for 30 years, said: "I wouldn't have thought there is any need to panic, but this apparently happened at the time when I had young children."

Coun Waudby, whose St Mark's Grove home backs onto the site, said: "I certainly think something should be done to put people's minds at ease. I wouldn't say people are scared to death, but it is certainly niggling at people's minds, not knowing if they are affected by this. People just haven't been told anything about it. If the owners of the site can hold some sort of meeting saying what they know, even if it is bad news, it will stop rumours circulating and allay people's fears."

A spokesman for Tenneco said today the calls for a meeting were a "little bit premature," and said it was looking at various possible steps that it could take. He revealed that between 30 and 60 people would have worked in the affected area at any one time in the 1980s, with up to 150 people in total potentially exposed to the risk.

Updated: 11:09 Friday, May 04, 2001