Agencies dealing with the aftermath of the Birmingham tornado have reassured residents and businesses following concern there was a danger from asbestos.

Officers from the Environment Agency, the Health Protection Agency, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Birmingham City Council's public health department and laboratories had determined there is a low risk to public health, the council said.

A controlled cleansing operation of highways will continue today and the council will give out leaflets advising residents and businesses of how to identify asbestos and safely remove debris from their properties.

Sacks for asbestos debris, which will need to be double bagged, labelled and dropped off at the special council controlled skips, will be provided.

Meanwhile, the council has held one-to-one meetings with the 40 families temporarily accommodated in Birmingham University halls of residence.

They have either been allowed back to their homes or found council accommodation - some furnished properties have already been set aside for those affected by the disaster and furniture and bedding packages will be provided for all families to be housed in unfurnished properties.

A city council spokeswoman said: "The city council is doing everything possible to provide the necessary assistance and support to enable their lives to return to normality as soon as possible. We would like to thank the university for all their help and support since the tornado."

Council leader Mike Whitby yesterday acknowledged the importance of businesses being allowed to start trading again and confirmed cordons had been moved to accommodate some shopkeepers.

He said: "I recognise that traders will want to resume business at the earliest opportunity and our priority is making sure that this happens."

Coun Whitby (Con Harborne), who attracted criticism for his handling of the tornado's aftermath, added the joint-agency approach to the city's response was working well.

"We will be using the experience gained by the multiagency team that responded so effectively to the MG Rover crisis to co- ordinate our activities and to devote our joint resources to addressing the needs of all those affected by the disaster.

" By working closely together in this way we are able to share information, quickly agree joint actions, avoid wasteful duplication of activity and co-ordinate communications with the press and public to ensure that everything we do continues to be effective and efficient. We are providing daily progress reports to the Local Government Minister, Phil Woolas."