Demolition crews have been spotted hosing down motors on an Ayr street.
Residents in surrounding streets to the Mainholm Academy building have complained after days of being exposed to the ‘nuisance dust’ from the site where the former school is being flattened.
Cars have been left caked in soot which has poured out of the area as the building is reduced to rubble by bulldozers.
Neighbours have told Ayrshire Live how the dust has crept inside homes and landed on washing lines in their gardens.
Concerned locals claimed the thick dust led them to fear an asbestos risk after the school was previously riddled with the dangerous substance.
However, council chiefs have allayed fears – insisting that all asbestos had been removed from the school prior to demolition and that the dust contains no trace of deadly asbestos fibres.
One resident of Westwood Avenue told Ayrshire Live: “There has been a cloud of dust in the air since the demolition started without any thought of safety. It’s not good enough.
“The dust has covered everyone’s cars, windows and washings. It has got the point that the workmen were going round hosing down people’s cars. It’s everywhere.
“The school had a major asbestos problem before. How do we know there aren’t still fibres at the site which are being sent out by this dust cloud?"
Locals claim the dust could have been prevented had the concrete been sprayed down with water to stop dust clouds forming.
But council chiefs insist the demolition contractor did spray down materials before they were crushed and that due to the dry weather, concrete was quickly drying out.
The contractor will now seek to increase the frequency of water spraying to minimise the spread of dust.
A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: "We can confirm that all asbestos was safely removed from the buildings before the demolitions started and that any dust from the site does not contain asbestos fibres.
“The demolition contractor is using water sprays to minimise the spread of dust while material is being crushed but due to the recent dry spell, areas are quickly drying out and some dust is being blown about.
“We can confirm that all material will be removed from the site by the end of June, but until then, the contractor will seek to increase water spraying to minimise the spread of dust."
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