April 21st, 2006

Brixton tube station, which is located at the end of the Victoria line on London’s underground, has been closed following the discovery of asbestos. The station will re-open in about nine days once the asbestos has been removed from the South London terminal. Officials have said that the current state of the asbestos poses no risk, but airborne asbestos can cause a range of health problems including cancer.

In the interim a regular bus service will operate between Stockwell and Brixton to alleviate some of the inconvenience caused to passengers by the closure of the station. The station has already been closed once before in 2003, when work had to be carried out in lifts and on escalators following the discovery of asbestos.

As work is carried out at the station, officials insist that there is no danger and that continual monitoring of the area will ensure that the station is perfectly safe before it re-opens. One official stated: "There is no safety risk to our customers and staff as the asbestos has not been disturbed and in that state it is safe. Air quality is being continually monitored by our asbestos control unit." Around 12,000 passengers travel through Brixton station on a daily basis, and the work being carried out will form part of a larger renovation plan put forward by the city.