ASBESTOS has been found jutting from a broken water pipe near a footpath on Southampton Common.

Lucian Kennedy spotted the burst pipe on his walk home from work.

The 39-year-old cleaner told the Daily Echo: “I was crossing the road by Sainsbury’s and Winchester Road, and as I walked down the path, I noticed a pipe sticking out from the ground.

“I wandered over to it as it didn’t seem quite right and it appeared as though asbestos was on it.

“I spoke to a few people walking by and one gentleman, in particular, seemed to confirm that it was asbestos.

Lucian waited for council workers, who 'put some orange road barriers around the pipe, without removing the asbestos'.

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However, he says he saw 'dogs go up and sniffing it and young children walk by'.

He added: “I was told it’s not an ‘immediate danger’ but it’s a health hazard.

“It’s illegal for asbestos to be in buildings so why is it okay for it to be exposed outside like that when you don’t know who’s walking by?

“It should have been removed straight away.

“The council haven’t handled this at all well in my opinion."

Commenting on the incident that happened at the end of February, a spokesperson for Southampton City Council said: “We would like to thank the resident for bringing this to our attention.

“We have cordoned off the item to ensure that it is not disturbed.

“The asbestos pipe appears to be a bonded material and as such is considered to be a low-risk material as it is unlikely to release fibres provided it remains undisturbed.

“It is likely that the council will require the services of a licensed asbestos contractor to attend, however, an asbestos surveyor is visiting the site to make an assessment on the requirements for its swift and safe removal.”