A TONNE of potentially dangerous asbestos waste was found dumped in an estate yesterday.

A team of council workers in protective suits, gloves and face masks bagged and sealed the broken corrugated asbestos board.

The culprits were condemned for putting the health of children at risk - if the material had been broken it would have released fine fibres, which can cause fatal lung diseases.

The workers said it was lucky the bad weather had kept youngsters indoors and away from their usual haunt in a cul-de-sac.

According to environmental health officers, Teesside is a blackspot for disposing of commercial waste cheaply.

Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool, where the latest incident occurred, have been clamping down on the waste cowboys using fines, patrols and mobile surveillance cameras.

This latest incident was in Heortnesse Road, Hartlepool. Ian Burton, Hartlepool borough environmental enforcement officer, said last night: "This was a criminally irresponsible act, by people who are risking the health of youngsters merely to make money for themselves.

"Asbestos is brittle and, when broken, presents a significant health hazard. It's lucky the residents were alert and called us quickly."

He blamed an increase in dumping on the landfill tax imposed by the Government for legal waste dumps. The council also charges about double for disposal compared to charges three years ago.

He said: "This leads to businesses choosing the cheapest man with a van to take their stuff away and they turn a blind eye to where it goes."

Doug Carhart, of Stockton Borough Council security services, has been monitoring long-term dumping of building materials.

He said: "This is getting serious enough for us to commit our staff with cameras to catch and prosecute the culprits."

Ken Sherwood, Middlesbrough's waste services manager, said: "There'll always be a hard core of businesses who will evade paying the legal landfill rate, at the cost of the environment and health, but the landfill tax has worsened the situation.