Asbestos is killing almost as many people as road accidents in Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet and Wells, according to new figures exposing the scale of the crisis in public buildings.

A national report found 214 deaths from mesothelioma between 2018 and 2022 across the two Somerset constituencies — compared to 234 killed in road crashes. The cancer is caused by inhaling asbestos fibres, often from ageing insulation or damaged structural materials.

Researchers logged 1,814 asbestos items across 341 building surveys in the area and flagged more than 31,000 buildings as potentially containing asbestos. Hazardous types found included sprayed coatings, cement sheets, insulating board and textured coatings.

The data has been compiled into a new interactive map by Asbestos Information CIC, showing the distribution and condition of asbestos in public buildings across the UK.

Campaigners are calling for a nationwide asbestos register and phased removal, starting with schools and NHS sites. They say government policy to "manage" asbestos rather than remove it is no longer safe.

In the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency, 133 mesothelioma deaths were recorded between 2018 and 2022, compared to 128 road deaths. In Glastonbury and Somerton, there were 81 mesothelioma deaths and 106 road fatalities.

Mesothelioma is a rare and fatal cancer that develops in the lining around the lungs, stomach, heart or testicles. It is almost always linked to asbestos exposure.

More than 2,700 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the UK. It mainly affects older adults, particularly men over the age of 75, and is always fatal.

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Liz Darlison, CEO of Mesothelioma UK, said: "Every day I see people dying from this completely avoidable cancer. If we manage to get rid of this threat for good, we will save many thousands of families from losing loved ones."

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