WITH better weather, many people’s thoughts are turning to a little DIY home improvement – but the message is beware.

Somewhere in those partition walls, behind the roofing felt or old floor and ceiling tiles could be some deadly dust waiting to come out.

It comes from the asbestos once widely used in the construction industry and could ultimately prove fatal if inhaled into the lungs.

The warning message comes from Denise Kitchener, chief executive of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), which claims the number of asbestos-related deaths has now overtaken the number of people killed in road accidents.

“The last thing we want to do is alarm people or stop people carrying out DIY and improving their homes. Our message is simple – go ahead with the DIY but if you find asbestos in your home, do not attempt to remove it,” she said.

Asbestos only becomes dangerous when it is disturbed and is best handled by experts.

“Many people are unaware that asbestos may be present in their homes, let alone be aware of the danger it poses. Of course people can tackle DIY without coming to any harm at all, but we urge people to be vigilant,” she added.

The main trouble spots are stripping old asbestos insulation material, removing roofing felts, old floor and ceiling tiles, textured paints and plaster containing asbestos, removing partition boards containing asbestos, removing asbestos cement products usually pressed into flat or corrugated sheets for roofing or wall cladding and removing some specific textured coatings.