A contractor ripped out potentially deadly asbestos from buildings without workers being issued protective gear and near a school, it has been claimed.

And construction workers familiar with asbestos said rubble containing the dangerous dust was taken away to be dumped in open trucks from the Southside building site by area Progressive Labour Party MP Arthur Pitcher's building firm.

One man with experience in the building trade who watched several buildings being levelled said: "Once you break that stuff up it's really hazardous -- when it blows into the air, there are millions of fibres floating around.

"Asbestos is something you don't take chances with and his workforce didn't have any protection.

"The contractor knew asbestos was there because there were different contractors signed up to take the stuff out.

"None of the stuff was handled correctly and it's right next to Clearwater school. There was nobody to pick up the pieces left lying on the ground. It was just left lying all over the place until it was taken away.'' And he added: "There's probably still asbestos in the soil and that should be removed as well.'' The news came after Mr. Pitcher was ordered to stop construction work at the Southside buildings, earmarked for the wrecking ball to make way for low-cost housing.

The man added that workers handling asbestos have to wear protective clothing and respirators, while asbestos material has by law to be double-bagged in thick polythene.

But he said: "They didn't start taking the asbestos out before they demolished the place. It crumbled all the asbestos and it got into the air.'' Another construction worker with experience of asbestos in buildings also went to watch the work go on.

He said: "Mr. Pitcher's own men were doing that work -- they had on just regular clothes and put the stuff in bags. They didn't have masks on and special suits which they're supposed to have.'' And he added that -- by the time specialists in asbestos removal arrived -- only one building was left standing.

The construction worker added: "There was quite a lot of asbestos lying around. It's dangerous enough that it has to be dealt with in the proper manner.'' Mr. Pitcher last month admitted he started building work on the site at Texas Road before receiving permission, but stopped work when ordered to by the Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC), which plans to build 20 affordable homes in the area.

BHC boss Raymonde Dill, however, yesterday insisted the buildings had all been assessed for different levels of asbestos risk and treated accordingly -- and added that, as far as he was concerned, the demolition work had been handled properly and all the asbestos removed from the site.

He said the two construction men may have seen buildings with low risk assessment being taken down.

Mr. Dill said: "There was a different level of asbestos in some of the buildings than others. Some had lower levels than others -- the Health Department were involved as were the asbestos assessment people.'' Mr. Pitcher did not return calls from The Royal Gazette yesterday.

Arthur Pitcher BUSINESS BUC