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Hampshire police are urging a burglar to urgently seek medical help after they handled cancer-causing asbestos at a demolition site.
The thief forced the doors of a locked decontamination caravan in Eastleigh and opened sealed bags which contained blue, brown and white asbestos-contaminated clothing and equipment.
The clothing was used by labourers who are working on demolition of the former Pirelli site in the town.
Pc Ella Knight said:
"Our prime concern is your safety and that of your families. If you entered this unit, you are likely to have been contaminated by asbestos and should seek medical attention, if you touched or stole any items within this unit.
"This is a costly, pointless offence, and people are advised not to enter this site. Parents should make sure their children are not allowed into this dangerous environment.''
Asbestos comes in six forms and is a known cause of the rare mesothelioma cancer, with the blue and brown varieties considered the most dangerous.
It is banned in more than 50 countries and its removal is a specialised task.