A mystery substance found on a building site in the Hythe, Colchester, has turned out to be 1,000 tonnes of brick dust.
Environment Agency experts were called out to the site in Hawkins Road after a resident feared there was blue asbestos on the land.
But laboratory tests revealed that instead of the noxious substance, which was used for insulation until it was banned about 20 years ago, the mystery dust was from bricks.
However, the dust, which was buried on the site, will still have to be removed.
An Environment Agency spokesman said several sheets of bonded asbestos were also found and have been removed safely.
The Environment Agency has stopped work on the site.
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