FAMILIES were today placed on red alert after asbestos was discovered in a disused building where children play.

Environmental Health bosses have fenced off the site of the former bleach works, off Whitebirk Road, Blackburn, and put up warning signs telling children to stay away.

A letter was distributed to all children at the nearby Intack County Primary School to take home to their parents informing them of the find.

And the director of public health at the Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust has been notified who in turn has contacted all the GPs in the area.

Council bosses were alerted to the danger after a survey by estate agents at the disused site -- which is for sale -- revealed the presence of asbestos.

Tests by analysts from Lancashire County Council showed it to be brown asbestos -- one of the most common forms. Brown asbestos was used in thermal insulation up to the late 1960s and in various sprayed applications and insulating boards until the middle and late 1970s.

The asbestos was found in the building's structure and in the remnants of a fire some years ago. Samples revealed that there were no asbestos fibres in the air meaning any health risks would be to those that entered the building.

Denise Johnson, manager of the Environmental Health department, said children had been getting onto the site.

She said: "It is obvious from graffiti inside and around the building that children access it quite regularly.

"We have had a fence up before but it has always been torn down. We are hoping that this warning will keep people away and the local communities will co-operate. We haven't got the resources to monitor the site 24 hours, but we have informed the police and if people see anybody in the building they can contact our emergency number."

The owner of the site has been traced and told to resolve the problem.

Under the Environmental Protection Act, the council has the power to render the building safe itself if no action is taken, and then bill the owner. A meeting with the owner is expected to be held on Monday.

Coun Maureen Bateson admitted it was a worry, but appealed for a calm reaction.

She said: "If the public do have concerns then we are prepared to meet with them. All the ward councillors have been informed of this, but we don't want people to panic. We are quite happy to sit down and talk about any concerns people are likely to have."

Parents who received the letter today said the find was a worry, although Dr Jim Paris, director for public health for the Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust, said any risk was low.

He said: "Blackburn with Darwen Council has made us aware of the problem and I have faxed all the GPs in the area informing them of this.

"The risk is very low and there is not much we can do but for take the details of people who come and see us and keep them on record. There are no tests to determine if people have been exposed to asbestos and no symptoms.

"The risk comes from persistent inhalation, like that of the old asbestos workers. I would urge parents not to panic over this."

Christopher Archer, of Whitebirk Road, whose three children aged between six and 11 attend Intack Primary, said: "It's a worry when asbestos is mentioned. Kids are playing down there all the time, but I make sure mine stay away."

The National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection, a government body which monitors air pollution, said asbestos is only dangerous when damaged or it deteriorates with age and releases fibres into the air. It said blue and brown asbestos are thought to be the most dangerous forms.