A CANCER sufferer says she tried in vain for months to persuade Newport city council to remove broken pieces of asbestos from near her home, which she fears could exacerbate her condition.

Margarette Palmer first alerted the council to the carcinogenic material on the roof of Maindee Pool at the end of last year but says that despite her repeated calls, nothing has been done.

Mrs Palmer, whose Vict-oria Avenue home is next door to the pool which is being refurbished, is worried about her health.

She said: "It is worrying because I was diagnosed last year with oesophagus cancer, for which I have had treatment. I'm now in remission. "Asbestos is very dangerous and there it is on the roof. On a windy day all the bits are going to come off.

"The council had been working on it last year and finished around the end of December.

"When I phoned the council the workmen had not even reported the breaking of asbestos.

"I phoned the council three times about this. Five weeks back a council man came to see me and he said he would get someone to look at it. "I phoned again and I was told they haven't got the res-ources to deal with it.

"I feel as if I have been fobbed off for nearly five months. "Other than contacting the Argus or going to a solicitor, I don't know what else I can do."

A spokeswoman for the council said there was some dispute about exactly when the asbestos had been reported as the council had no record of it until April 23.

However, work would be carried out later this month to repair the broken asb-estos guttering on the roof of Maindee Pool. "We have had a look at it but because it is at such a high level it is not a direct risk.

"You would have to be in fairly close proximity to the asbestos to be at risk," said the spokeswoman.