NETWORK Rail refuses to name the contractor who left potentially deadly asbestos in rooms it was supposed to have cleared of the substance.

And it also refuses to name another contractor who subsequently cleared the buildings as clean.

Yesterday the Evening Advertiser revealed that maintenance staff were in a limbo of worry after finding out they had been working in rooms contaminated by the dust.

Tests revealed that renovations carried out in relay rooms including two at Wootton Bassett in 2000 and 2001,which involved the removal of asbestos tiles, left traces of the substance.

Asbestos inhalation is a known cause of serious respiratory illnesses including mesothelioma, the cancer which has come to be known as the Swindon Disease due to the number of former Railway Works staff diagnosed with it.

The Evening Advertiser asked Network Rail which contractor was responsible for leaving the asbestos traces in the relay rooms, which house the switches associated with the signalling system.

But spokeswoman Kirsty Anderson said: "We will not be revealing that because of commercial confidentiality.

"However, all of this happened before the duties of Railtrack were taken over by Network Rail.

"Network Rail is carrying out a thorough investigation into what happened."

Ms Anderson also said the work by that contractor had been given a clean bill of health by another brought in to check it afterwards.

But the spokeswoman also declined to name the organisation responsible for the inspection.

The refusal to name the contractors brought criticism but not surprise from one of the workers who unknowingly worked in the contaminated rooms as part of his general duties.

The man, who asked that his name should not appear in print, said: "As far as I am concerned, Network Rail hasn't been helpful to us at all.

"Since all this happened, they have told us to wear protective clothing when we have to go into those buildings, but there has been no advice to us about, for example, whether we should see our doctors."

The maintenance worker added that he wasn't especially surprised by Network Rail's refusal to name then contractors.

He said: "There seems to be a wall of silence."

Barrie Hudosn