Builders liability insurance holders have been warned about handling asbestos, after the prosecution of a developing firm.
The Bournemouth Echo reported that Savoir Developments, of Colchester, pleaded guilty to breaching the Control of Asbestos Regulations and was fined £15,000.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard how a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited a site that the firm was working on in Poole in March 2008 after neighbours had raised fears about dust from the site.
The company was found to have failed to properly assess whether asbestos might be present, while it also did not take measures to reduce the spread of the cancer-related material.
Kathy Gostick, HSE inspector, said: "Asbestos is extremely harmful to human health and exposure to asbestos is the most serious occupational health issue in the country, with more than 4,000 people dying every year from asbestos-related diseases."
The HSE is currently running a 'hidden danger' campaign to warn public liability insurance holders of the dangers of asbestos.