It was widely used in building materials from the 20th century and valued for its strength and insulation, which made it incredibly popular for housing construction.

As a result, asbestos remains present in many residential properties across the country.

Asbestos was used in building materials from the 20th century (Image: Getty)

Is asbestos dangerous?

Simon Roberts, DIY and home maintenance expert at Saxton Blades, warned that asbestos is so dangerous because of the microscopic fibres it releases when disturbed, which can then be inhaled or ingested.

Once they reach the lungs, the fibres can cause serious health issues, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

When a person has been exposed to asbestos, these symptoms can sometimes take decades to appear afterwards, which is why it’s important to enforce strict safety measures.

How to check if your home has asbestos

Simon shared some tips on how to check if your home has asbestos and how to stay safe.

He said: “If your house was built after 2000, you probably don’t need to worry about asbestos, as it was officially banned in the UK in 1999.

“However, for those whose house is older, you’ll want to check for signs.

“Just remember not to touch anything to avoid the risk of releasing any fibres.

“One of the first things is to check your roof.

Things that could invalidate your home insurance

“If the tiles are a corrugated grey material, there is a chance they could be asbestos cement sheets, which were widely used for roofing before 2000 because they were lightweight, waterproof, and inexpensive.

“These sheets are typically thin and easily-weathered.

“You should also watch out for flat panels, which could be asbestos insulating board, which contains even more asbestos.

“This material is softer, which means it’s more easily damaged.

“Asbestos insulating board can also be found in walls or around doors, and is easily mistaken for fibreboard.”

Can you live in a house with asbestos in the UK?

Michael Holmes, property expert for the Homebuilding & Renovating Show, said: “Bonded asbestos products such as cement board and textured coatings are generally considered safe if they remain intact and undisturbed.

“If these materials are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed, they can often be safely left in place and managed.”

He shared where you might find it in your home: “Textured coatings such as Artex, widely applied to ceilings from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, are among the most common.

“Older homes may also have asbestos cement in gutters, downpipes, and soffit boards, as well as asbestos used for fireproofing and pipe insulation.”

How to prevent condensation in your home

Can you legally remove asbestos by yourself?

Simon explained: “The only way to properly discern whether your house contains asbestos is to consult a professional.

“If you’re worried that you and your house may be at risk, a surveyor can safely take a small sample under very controlled conditions and send it to an accredited laboratory for testing.

“Never try to remove asbestos yourself.”

When it comes to the removal of asbestos, Michael added: “Where removal is necessary, homeowners may legally remove small quantities of non-friable asbestos-containing materials themselves, strictly following HSE guidance on safe handling and disposal at a licensed waste facility – though professional removal is always the safer option.

“Asbestos insulation materials – particularly loose-fill or sprayed insulation – are far more dangerous and should never be handled by anyone other than a specialist licensed contractor.

“If discovered, arrange professional removal as soon as possible.”

Michael continued: “As a homeowner, you have a responsibility under health and safety law not to expose anyone working on your property to avoidable risks.

Professional removal of asbestos is advised (Image: Getty)

“If your home was built before 2000 and you plan to have work carried out, you should commission a professional asbestos survey before work begins.

“This is the only reliable way to identify hidden asbestos-containing materials so they can be safely managed or removed before they pose a risk to health.”

Which insulation should you use for your loft?

If you are planning to upgrade your home following asbestos removal, installing modern insulation is a sensible next step to improve energy efficiency and comfort, according to Emily Green, home maintenance expert at builder’s merchant Howarth Timber.

Here are the types of insulation you should install in your loft, depending on what it’s like:

• Cold loft: use loft insulation rolls laid between the joists to prevent heat from escaping into the loft space.
• Warm loft: opt for insulation boards under the rafters to create a warm and usable loft space.
• Storage loft: choose rigid boards that can support weight, allowing you to use the area for storage.
• Large lofts: rolls are the most cost-effective and efficient option for big spaces.
• Damp lofts: use insulation slabs that are water-resistant and ventilated to prevent mould.

Have you found asbestos in your home? Let us know in the comments.

The White Lion in Westhoughton has submitted proposals to the council for a rear extension and alterations to its car park to make deliveries safer and more accessible.

The pub, at 2 Market Street, sits at the junction of Market Street, Bolton Road and Mill Street, close to Bolton Council offices and Westhoughton Library.

Among the proposals is the widening of access to the pub’s rear car park. Planning documents state this would allow brewery dray lorries to make deliveries from within the car park rather than parking near the junction.

The applicant says the change would reduce disruption at the crossroads and create a safer situation for pedestrians using the footpath and drivers navigating the junction.

No additional parking spaces are proposed, with the existing 38 spaces retained.

The application also seeks permission for a single-storey rear extension to create a new cellar.

The proposed plans if approved by the council (Image: Bolton Council)

According to submitted documents, the current below-ground cellar is subject to repeated flooding, leading to the loss of stock.

The proposed extension would provide a replacement cellar at ground level.

The works would add around 35 square metres of internal floorspace.

The White Lion dates from the early 19th century and was granted Grade II listed status in February 2016.

It retains a number of historic features, including decorative 1920s tiling, etched glass screens and original fireplaces.

The rear extension would be built in blockwork with a rendered finish to match the existing building, along with a slate roof and timber doors.

Planning documents state the design is intended to avoid harm to the main elevations facing Market Street and Bolton Road.

An acoustic assessment has also been submitted in relation to two proposed condenser units to be installed externally at the rear of the new cellar.

The report concludes that predicted plant noise levels would be below existing background sound levels at the nearest homes during both daytime and night-time periods.

Bolton Council will consider the application in due course.

One person was taken to Royal Victoria Hospital as a result of this afternoon’s incident

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Emergency services were deployed to an incident on Royal Avenue in Belfast this afternoon — which led to one person being taken to hospital.

Several police vehicles and ambulances were spotted at the scene.

A spokesman for Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said: “The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 4.39pm on Saturday, March 14 following an incident in Royal Avenue, Belfast.

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“NIAS despatched an advanced paramedic and two emergency crews to the incident.

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“Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one patient was taken to RVH.”

Belfast Live also approached PSNI for comment.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior says he intends to speak to the referees’ body Professional Game Match Official Limited about Paul Tierney positioning himself in the middle of the Blues’ huddle before Saturday’s game against Newcastle.

Referee Tierney was standing over the ball prior to kick-off but did not move away as Chelsea players gathered around him for their pre-match huddle, much to the bemusement of some of the Blues’ starting XI.

Cole Palmer jokingly wrapped his arms around Tierney before staring quizzically at the official, who merely smiled back at the England international as Trevoh Chalobah and Enzo Fernandez watched on in amusement.

“I’ll be speaking to PGMOL and the refs to get an understanding of why that happened today,” Rosenior said after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat. “We were told that in the rulebook you can be where you want and it’s about timing.

“I’m disappointed. I’m going to make it clear. I want to protect my players and I’m respectful to the game.

“Before the game we had a meeting with the referee. My assistant goes in and the first thing [Tierney] talks about is our huddle. We’re not being disrespectful to the opposition.”

Former Premier League assistant referee referee Darren Cann told BBC Sport he had never seen anything as strange “in 50 years of watching football”.

But Cann was able to shed some light on the incident, saying: “As it was Newcastle‘s kick-off, the referee [took] control of the ball on the halfway line and was there to prevent any potential issues.

“When it is their kick-off, there is no particular issue. However, when their opponents have to kick off, there is potential for confrontation.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, meanwhile, said the incident had “absolutely zero relevance to me”.

Howe added: “I was totally non-fussed by it. I don’t pay any attention to things like that. It’s not going to help us win or lose the game.”

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power Saturday after high winds raked eastward from the Great Lakes region, leaving trees down and substantial property damage in their wake. Farther west, at least one person died in a massive wind-driven wildfire in Nebraska.

Nearly 450,000 customers were still affected by midafternoon in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.

A 66 mph (106 kph) gust at Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday was deemed its fourth-strongest on record that was not caused by a thunderstorm, according to the National Weather Service. Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport saw winds hit 85 mph (137 km) that afternoon.

Winds took down a gas station canopy in New Franklin, Ohio, and an auto parts store sign in Baldwin, Pennsylvania. Trees and tree limbs fell into or onto homes and cars from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. The roof of a school building in the Chicago suburb of Niles, Illinois, was severely damaged by wind.

High winds fueled multiple wildfires across a broad swath of Nebraska’s range and grassland, causing one death in Arthur County, officials said. The victim was not immediately identified and the sheriff’s office did not disclose other details about the death.

What state officials have dubbed the Morrill County fire has burned at least 735 square miles (about 1,880 square kilometers) across four counties since Thursday. At least 12 structures have been destroyed, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

Chelle Ladely of Sidney said her home was currently safe, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of the nearest fire. But she worries for other friends and family in the area.

“Smoke is filling the air, and at night I can see the burn of the fires on the horizon,” Ladely said. “My father is a crop agronomist, and his company as well as other local farmers are all gathering their water trucks to help aid with the fires, and truckloads of bottled water and food is being supplied by our good patrons for our volunteer firemen trying to extinguish the blazes.”

Several other wildfires pushed by winds of up to 65 mph (105 kph) burned another 225 square miles (about 580 square kilometers) for a total of nearly 938 square miles (about 2,430 square kilometers) by midday Saturday. The strong winds have kept firefighters from containing any of the fires, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said. Gov. Jim Pillen toured areas burned by the Morrill County fire.

In Chicago, thousands of revelers turned out to see the city’s namesake river dyed bright green and a downtown parade celebrating the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, despite the threat of snow and stiff winds that drove the feels-like temperature well below freezing.

Dangerous winds were but one piece of a wild weather mosaic that included heavy rains in Hawaii, triple-digit heat ahead in Phoenix and the return of winter cold to the Midwest and Northeast. Chicago was expected to approach the single digits Fahrenheit by Tuesday, with Minneapolis seeing lows around zero (minus 18 C).

Several Minnesota cities have already declared snow emergencies starting Sunday, when what could be the season’s largest snowfall is expected to hit. Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are also in the crosshairs.

AccuWeather warned of a “potent triple-threat March megastorm” from Sunday into Monday.

“It’s definitely a very active weather weekend, that’s for sure,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist John Feerick said. “It’s a highly amplified pattern, which means you get a lot of extremes. Also, not just the Lower 48, but Hawaii’s getting hit hard right now with some very heavy rain.”

Feerick said people along the Wisconsin-Iowa border might see some ice as travel conditions become dangerous in large parts of the Upper Midwest.

___

Beck reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

Mr and Mrs First, of Sandown Road in Bradshaw, have been granted full planning permission to convert a strip of adopted highway land at the front of their bungalow into residential use and to erect new boundary fencing.

The land in question consists of a footpath and grassed area which cuts across the front of several properties and has long been adopted as public highway.

The couple applied in January to incorporate the area into their garden.

During the course of the application, the proposed height of the front and side boundary fence was reduced from 1.2 metres to 0.95 metres following discussions with planning officers.

The proposed site layout (Image: Bolton Council)

Bolton Council’s highways engineers raised no objections to the loss of highway land, subject to the applicants formally extinguishing the highway rights through the Department for Transport’s National Casework Team.

That legal process, carried out under the Town and Country Planning Act, must be completed at the applicants’ expense before the land can officially cease to be highway.

Planning officers said the existing vehicular access points to the property would remain in place and that there would be no changes to parking arrangements.

In their report, officers concluded that the modest extension of the garden and the low-level close-boarded fence would not harm the character of the area, which is characterised by open frontages, lawns, driveways and a mix of low walls, fencing and hedging.

They also found the proposal would not adversely affect neighbouring properties, and would not result in the loss of any on-site habitat.

Recommending approval, the planning officer said the development complies with both local and national planning policies and would not result in harm to residential amenity or highway safety.

Planning permission has now been granted, subject to the completion of the required legal process to remove the land’s highway status.

Victory for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium means they have opened up a ten-point gap at the top of the Premier League table before Man City have the chance to respond against West Ham later tonight. Follow the game back below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Matt Verri at the ground.

North Korea has fired missiles into the sea in response to a United States military exercise.

Around 10 ballistic missiles were fired from near Pyongyang’s international airport on Saturday as a show of force after a joint military exercise between US and South Korea.

They flew around 220 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

It came just hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met with President Donald Trump in Washington.

South Korea has since ramped up its surveillance in response.

And experts fear Saturday’s launches could undermine the diplomatic efforts made by both sides.

The US and South Korea are currently participating in Freedom Shield, an 11-day shared military exercise held between both sides every March.

North Korea has long described them as invasion rehearsals – often citing them as a reason to dial up weapons testing.

Only last Tuesday leader Kim Jong Un’s sister criticised Washington and Seoul for proceeding with their drills during a period of such global uncertainty.

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Kim Yo Jong said they undermine regional stability at a time when the global security structure is “collapsing rapidly and wars break out in different parts of the world due to the reckless acts of outrageous international rogues.”

In recent months they have hardened their stance towards Seoul and are now urging Washington to drop denuclearisation demands as a precondition for talks.

And just this week Mr Kim was pictured alongside his teenage daughter as the country carried out missile tests from a naval destroyer.

Read more: Who is Kim Ju Ae?

It comes amid speculation that the US is planning to relocate some missile defences to the country as part of its intensifying war with Iran.

But South Korea has been quick to insist this would not affect its defence posture against its northern neighbours.

The pub has a rich history, with everything from ghost stories the discovery of DNA

Very few pubs carry the deep historical legacy of The Eagle in Cambridge. Tucked along the narrow historic stretch of Bene’t Street, the second-oldest pub in the city has more than 700 years of stories etched into its beams, walls and ceilings.

Dating back to the 14th century, the building has witnessed centuries of Cambridge life. Medieval townsfolk one gathered here after market days centuries before wartime pilots filled its rooms with laughter and cigarette smoke and decades before brilliant scientists raised pints while discussing ideas that would reshape the world.

The Grade II-listed pub is a living archive, just steps away from other notable Cambridge landmarks, including King’s College and The Corpus Clock. The Eagle has never lost its charm, as every time you walk through the doors, you step into centuries of Cambridge history where every pint of ale comes with a story.

A Brief History of The Eagle

‘With beer for three gallons a penny’, the tavern was bought by Corpus Christi College in around 1458 and advertised as a property producing 20s per annum. Cambridge was growing at the time with many University colleges being founded, including Christ’s College, King’s College and Queen’s College.

The town was home to between 1500 and 5000 inhabitant and urban settlements surrounding the town began to lay their foundations.

The Inn was originally known as ‘The Eagle and Child’, with the child being the crest of the Earl of Derby and opened in 1667 as a coaching house for travellers commuting towards London for trade at the market.

A lease to Andrew Pylkynton, the innkeeper and his wife, in the archives of Corpus, mentions “their two tenements, a greater and a lesser nowe made an Inne called the Eagle and Child sett and built together in the parishe of St Benett in Cambridge.”

Inside the Eagle, there are a few places where old decorations are thought to still be standing from the time period. This includes wall paint and ‘broad green stripes’ above the second bar to conceal crooked timber planks.

The Inn was rebuilt in around 1800 with a slate roof and brick-infilled timber frames, and was used as the headquarters of the Cambridge Conservative party during elections in the 1820s.

Ghost Stories

The pub is said to be haunted following a fire in the 1700s. The story goes that a young child was trapped and burned to death because they were unable to open the window to escape.

Detailed in The Eagle’s history leaflet, it says: “The only thing keeping the pub from being plagued by spirits is a window, which must remain open at all times.”

They explain they have kept the window open ever since, as when it has been closed, it has mysteriously reopened and brought bad luck.

“The open window allows these young ghosts to leave the pub as they wish and it is reported that strange things have happened in the past when the window was shut.”

One account said: “That should anyone dare to try and close the window, everybody inside the pub will experience a powerful feeling of suffocation.”

On table 4, a ghostly gentleman sits and watches the punters drinking their pints. The Eagle staff warn people, “if he doesn’t like you, he will spill your drink!”

Tales of the locals

In 1826, two labourers named William Smith and Stephen Woodcock uncovered a haul of hidden coins from below 9 Bene’t Street. The treasure included nearly 200 gold pieces and over 3,500 silver pieces dating back to the reign of Charles I.

The sale of the hoard was £192 in which £162 went to the college, £20 went to the Master mason and £5 each to the labourers.

In 1907, a policeman described in a newspaper article that he could see who entered the yard and overhear conversations in the smoke-room about horse racing and telephonic messages being passed, naming horses and mentioning sums of money.

Police raided the inn and the landlord, Charles W. Hyde, was committed for trial the same day.

The Secret of Life

Just around the corner on Free School Lane stood the Cavendish Laboratory, where some of the University’s brightest minds carried out groundbreaking research. After long days in the lab, scientists and scholars would often drift into The Eagle for a well-earned pint.

It was here that one of the most famous moments in modern science unfolded. At lunchtime in 1953, Francis Crick burst into the pub and reportedly announced to those gathered that he and James Watson had “found the secret of life.”

The declaration referred to their discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA, a breakthrough that would become one of the most significant scientific achievements of the 20th century.

The discovery transformed the field of genetics, and in 1962, Watson and Crick, along with Maurice Wilkins, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work.

Watson’s book ‘The Double Helix’ is commemorated on a blue plaque outside the pub alongside Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins’ contributions and two plaques in the middle room are hung by the table where Crick and Watson lunched regularly.

Today, the pub still celebrates that historic moment. Visitors can raise a glass of DNA Ale, brewed to commemorate the pivotal discovery first announced within The Eagle’s walls.

WWII and RAF Bar

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the first flight of the legendary Supermarine Spitfire, a reminder of the deep aviation history across Cambridgeshire and the surrounding counties that played a vital role during World War II.

At The Eagle, that wartime legacy still hangs overhead, quite literally. The pub is famous for its graffiti-covered ceiling, now known as the RAF Bar.

From the late 1930s through the mid-1940s, the pub became a popular gathering place for RAF and American airmen stationed at nearby air bases across the region. After flying missions, crews would head into Cambridge to share stories and raise a drink together.

Many left a lasting mark on the pub. Local historian Malcolm Osborn once recalled a story in which “a young airman stood precariously balanced on a chair atop a table in the back bar, then using a candle he burned his squadron’s number into the ceiling.”

That moment became part of a wider tradition. Over time, dozens of servicemen added their own marks, including names, squadron numbers, cartoons, signatures, and sketches.

One includes a drawing of a naked woman drawn in lipstick. This created a remarkable patchwork of wartime memories that still covers the ceiling today.

Decades later, the RAF Bar remains one of the pub’s most striking features, preserving the voices and presence of the young airmen who once filled The Eagle with laughter during some of the darkest years of the 20th century.

What’s going on today

In modern times, The Eagle continues to thrive while carefully preserving the character that made it famous.

The pub is now operated by Greene King, and many punters include university students catching pints between lectures and tourists who are drawn by its scientific legacy, wartime history or simply the promise of a good ale.

Second-place France are now three points behind Ireland, who need a massive favour from old rivals England this evening. However, the chances of that happening appear remote if the form book is anything to go by, with Steve Borthwick’s struggling side having followed a 12-Test winning streak with three successive sobering losses to slump to fifth and on the brink of their worst-ever Six Nations campaign.