Hair salons are being warned about the potential danger of asbestos in old-style hairdryers after the death of a Keighley woman.

Bradford environmental health bosses are writing to hairdressers after former hairdresser, Janet Watson, 59, of Long Lee, died of mesothelioma, an asbestos-related disease.

Mrs Watson is suspected of breathing in asbestos dust from old-fashioned hood hairdryers used to warm up the salon where she worked.

A Bradford inquest into her death heard that the asbestos lining in the hoods disintegrated over time.

Salon owners are now being warned not use equipment they have doubts about and to get it checked by an expert.

Environmental health manager Geoff Twentyman said: "We will be writing to all hairdressing businesses. We would, of course, dissuade hairdressers from using these old-style drying hoods now."

Hairdresser Linda Cann, 45, who runs Tatty Head in Keighley, said hood dryers were used to warm the shop when she was an apprentice.

"I'm shocked to hear about this death," she said. "I would have thought there was more danger from the other products we use, like powder bleach and peroxide. Hairdressers need to be made aware."

And Craig Chapman, boss of CCB Hair in Wibsey, had also worked at a salon where the dryers were used in the same way.

Ray Seymour, general secretary of the National Hairdressers' Federation, said asbestos had not been used in hood dryers for many years.

"There should not be such equipment in use - it should have been replaced by now," he said. "I'm shocked to hear of this case. I've never known of another."

Nelson-based REM is the UK's only manufacturer of hood dryers. Sales director Bill Eccles said asbestos was not used.

He was aware of hoods being used to warm salons and to dry towels, but not in recent years.

"The hoods were commonplace 25 years ago, but they are not in use as much now. Where there were six in a salon at one time, now they may be just two," he said.

The Bradford inquest heard that Janet Wilson had been a hairdresser for 30 years and, at one time, had her own salon in Bradford Road, Keighley.

Her partner, engineer Neil Holdsworth, told the hearing she told him the hoods were used to warm the salon and it was common to see the dust in the room being moved around.

Dr John O'Dowd said asbestos fibres were found in her lungs above the normal background levels.

l Asbestos is banned as an insulator. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations all business proprietors have a duty to check their premises for asbestos and take measures to have it removed or make it safe.