A BAG believed to contain lethal asbestos was left by a busy city road for days while taxpayer-funded authorities talked about whose job it was to pick it up.

Meanwhile, as Worcester City Council and the Health and Safety Executive debated the issue, the builders’ bag – thought to contain the remains of an old asbestos shed – was mysteriously taken away yesterday.

The bag had been left in the front garden of a house in Green Lane in Rainbow Hill by workmen last week.

It is highly unlikely if it will ever be known if the bag contained asbestos.

A concerned resident spotted the material in the bag on Saturday and called the city council to have it removed, but was first told nobody could come out because it was the weekend, then told it was not their job.

The city council says it is the HSE’s job to deal with asbestos, but passed the query to the HSE on Monday because they do not work at weekends.

The 28-year-old resident who lives nearby and reported the hazard said the “complete lack of interest” from those contacted was “a disgrace”.

In desperation he called the police, but was told it was not their responsibility.

When your Worcester News called the council and the HSE on Monday, each authority claimed the other was responsible.

But the HSE is now investigating the issue, as the bagged waste was carried out by a contractor and left on private land – which does fall under their remit.

The resident, who did not wish to be named, has been left fuming.

“I’ve been a builder since I left school and I know how hazardous asbestos can be,” he said.

“Nobody has shown any willing to do anything about it when it could quite clearly be a danger to anybody walking past it.

“I’ve been fobbed off and pushed from pillar to post while nobody seems interested.”

He is worried whoever was responsible for the bag’s material had not followed strict rules on its break up, storage and disposal.

Meanwhile the bag was left in a front garden by the road – used by school children and pedestrians – and next to the alleyway running to Church Road.

A city council spokeswoman said: “It’s the HSE who take repsonsibility because it is a contractor working on a domestic premises.”

She said the matter had been referred to the HSE on Monday.

A HSE spokeswoman said they would be sending an inspector to talk to the man who made the complaint.