Asbestos has been found in at least 55 council-owned properties in Essex, most of which are open to the public, research has revealed.

A survey conducted by the Labour Research Department (LRD) and commissioned by the Trades Union Congress found 38 buildings in Maldon and 17 in Brentwood still contained asbestos, despite the building material being banned in the UK.

The buildings excluded schools and houses but did include other buildings open to the public, including leisure centres, burial ground chapels and Brentwood town hall, according to the survey.

Maldon and Brentwood district councils said plans were in place to manage asbestos and there was no risk to anyone while it remained undisturbed.

In a statement, Councillor Penny Channer, Leader of Maldon District Council said: "All of the properties for which we have direct responsibility have been inspected by a specialist contractor, samples taken and analysed, and a management plan put in place.

"This plan includes annual inspections to check that there has been no material change to the condition of the asbestos to ensure they pose no risk to members of the public who use them. Although the specialist inspections were some years ago, unless the asbestos becomes damaged, there is no risk to anyone."

"In line with The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, we will only remove the asbestos if there is a need to do so, such as it has been damaged or we are undertaking other repairs. We continue to monitor these sites on an annual basis, and we will shortly be engaging a specialist contractor to undertake a further inspection in due course."

The survey, which was conducted between July-October 2021 and published on May 13 2022, sampled councils in England and found 2,690 premises had asbestos in them across 31 local authorities.

Maldon and Brentwood councils were among those who provided lists of buildings to the LRD.

In Brentwood, it found 13 of the buildings were open to the public, including burial ground chapels, the town hall, community halls, leisure centres, operational depots, a plant nursery used by a charity, a public car park and public changing rooms at playing fields.

The published report said the 38 buildings in Maldon "mostly" had public access, but for some the duty to inspect lies with the leisure-management company or leaseholder.

Asbestos is a fibrous material previously used in construction and inhaling it can lead to serious lung conditions including lung cancer and Mesothelioma.

It was banned in 1999, but it can still be present in older buildings built or refurbished before then.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, it kills around 5000 workers each year.