Workers at York's former Monroe factory may have been contaminated by potentially dangerous asbestos dust in the mid-1980s.

Contractors damaged white asbestos in the roof of a hangar while carrying out repair work, according to a company memo leaked to the Evening Press.

And asbestos dust was found just a few months ago on the ground in "dusty recesses" of the building in Manor Lane, Rawcliffe.

The Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation this week after being contacted by the Evening Press.

An inspector visited the closed-down factory and removed samples for analysis.

Yesterday the HSE served a prohibition notice on parent company Tenneco Automotive UK, which prohibits work in parts of Hangar 4 where there is asbestos debris or loose asbestos.

A spokeswoman said the notice will remain in place until the company has removed asbestos and the HSE is satisfied it is clear.

A former employee said that after hearing about the asbestos alert on the grapevine he had visited his doctor and had been told to go to hospital for an X-ray check-up.

"I am worried about it," said the man, who did not wish to be identified but who worked in the affected area at the time the asbestos was damaged. "I have two daughters to bring up. I have their futures to think of."

He felt the company should have ensured all former employees were made aware of the situation.

The company memo to staff, which dates back to February when the shock-absorber factory was preparing to close, stated that the HSE had been informed of the discovery and was being kept up to date.

An HSE spokeswoman said it could find no record of being informed, but added that there was no legal obligation on the company to do so.

A spokesman for Tenneco said there might have been some confusion over whether the HSE had been informed.

He said the company was currently investigating whether steps could be taken to inform former members of staff of the situation. "We are looking into what can be done."

He said there had been regular sampling and monitoring by independent advisers after the discovery of the asbestos problem, and tests showed the area was safe.

Malcolm Bushby, of the AEEU union, said it was aware of the asbestos discovery and had placed the information in its files, for use as evidence should it ever be needed while pursuing a legal claim on behalf of a member.

The company memo revealed that the asbestos problem came to light last December when air monitoring tests had been conducted.

It said the repair work in the 1980s had been "carried out legally and seemingly safely at the time."

The company was sealing off certain areas to ensure people stayed out of and did not disturb the dusty recesses. "This may seem excessive, but we are not taking any chances," said the memo, adding that the highest risk time would have been when the roof work was being conducted in the mid-80s.

It advised anyone getting symptoms after the factory closed to contact their GP and also get in touch with their union office for advice. They could also contact Tenneco directly in Brussels.

The memo said: "It is important to keep this in context. Before asbestos was generally recognised as harmful, it was used in a variety of common products in the 60s, 70s and 80s, such as ironing boards, hairdryers, brake pads and building materials ... all of which could have put people's health at risk.

"We are not saying there is no risk, but it is important not to overly worry or scaremonger."

It stressed that there had not been "gross contamination."

For those working in the area at the time of the roof repairs, "there may be some contamination or none at all."

The site belonged to Armstrong Patents during the 1980s.

Armstrong Patents was sold to Texas-based motor giant Tenneco - which owns Monroe Shock Absorbers - for £58 million in May 1989.

By 1997 Monroe had changed its name to Tenneco.

Updated: 11:07 Thursday, May 03, 2001