Waltham Forest Council says it has now complied with an order to improve its management of asbestos at the town hall after being reprimanded for safety breaches.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a series of improvement demands on the authority after it failed to draw up legally-required plans for, and records of, managing the cancer-causing fibre at the site in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

Last year it emerged that all three types of asbestos - including its most dangerous blue variety - had been found in multiple rooms of the town hall, potentially putting dozens at risk.

The council had known about the asbestos since the 1980s but continued to use the rooms until they were sealed off last year ahead of refurbishment works.

In a statement, the council said the HSE orders were issued on March 26, but were only published this week.

The authority said it had met the requirements to draw up plans and records two weeks later.

A council spokesman said it had "pressed" the HSE to update its records, which he said were not up-to-date.

The HSE improvement orders stated that the council had failed to "draw up a suitable and sufficient plan to manage the asbestos or any asbestos containing substances" and had failed to "record how the plan will be implemented".