ASBESTOS is thought to be present in more than 80 sites owned by Exeter City Council, the authority has revealed.

And there are understood to be thousands of items of "asbestos-containing materials" within the buildings concerned.

The council made the disclosure following a Freedom of Information request.

But the authority has insisted that each item is closely monitored and claims that there have only been two minor incidents relating to asbestos in the past three years – the period covered by the request.

The sites in Exeter where asbestos can be found, or is presumed to be present, are understood to include Wonford Community Centre, the Guildhall, Pyramids, Topsham Museum, the Corn Exchange, most public conveniences and car parks, The Livestock Centre, Riverside Leisure Centre, and Alphington Community Centre.

Asbestos was extensively used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid-1980s. It was used for a variety of purposes and was ideal for fireproofing and insulation. Any building built before 2000 can contain asbestos.

Asbestos materials in good condition are safe unless fibres become airborne, which happens when materials are damaged. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases, which are responsible for approximately 4,000 deaths a year. There are several diseases caused by asbestos including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.

A spokesman for the city council said: "Properties are surveyed to identify where asbestos is present or presumed to be present and a management plan developed which shows the location of the asbestos and the action that must be taken to ensure risk is mitigated.

"Where high-risk areas are identified then corrective action such as removal or encapsulation will be carried out immediately and an inspection regime put in place to ensure that any damage to potential asbestos is reported. The council surveys both housing and public buildings that it owns.

"Strictly speaking domestic properties are not covered by the legislation but we, as many other authorities do, apply the same procedures to housing as we do to public buildings."

There are 120 establishment controlled by Devon County Council which are open to the public and known to contain asbestos, and 250 schools contain asbestos, including Ladysmith Infants School, Montgomery Primary School, Redhills Community Primary School, Stoke Hill Junior School, Whipton Barton Infants and Nursery School, and Whipton Barton Junior School.

A county council spokesman said: "We have a policy for the control and management of asbestos which recognises its responsibilities as a duty holder and which are of a higher standard than that required by the Health and Safety Executive."

Several unions have been campaigning to raise awareness of the potential dangers of asbestos in public buildings.

The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) has been set up to campaign on this issue, and a spokesman said: "The figures in Exeter and Devon are not surprising. Around 5,000 people die each year from mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer – 13 people for every day of the year."