Asbestos screening for seamen

The Naval Service has said the vast majority of 116 people who may have come in contact with potentially lethal asbestos have been medically screened and it will shortly award a contract to experts to carry out a fleet-wide survey for the substance.

A spokesman for the Naval Service said that, to date, all 55 Naval Service personnel who had any potential contact with the substance had been screened.

A further 54 civilian workers employed by the Department of Defence have also been screened and just seven remain to be checked.