Fuel spill angers residents

The fuel spill happened near East Midlands Airport

People living near East Midlands Airport say they should have been better informed of the effects of a fuel spill.

The complaint comes after 20,000 litres of aviation fuel leaked from an overturned lorry outside the Thistle Hotel at the airport on Saturday.

Firefighters and the Environment Agency worked all weekend to contain the fuel spill and clean up streams near Diseworth in Leicestershire.

Alan Leech, who lives in Diseworth, says local residents should have been better informed about what was going on.

The airport has to examine why this spill took place and ensure it doesn't happen again

Steve Profitt
Environment Agency

Mr Leech said: "Nobody was telling us anything about the way it was handled.

"They were out there mopping up, but we didn't know the magnitude and we were left in the dark."

Steve Profitt of the Environment Agency said the work will continue for the next few days.

"The rain we had flushed the fuel so quickly that it moved fast and no great damage to wildlife has occurred.

"The airport has to examine why this spill took place and ensure it doesn't happen again."

The airport says the spill was the result of a traffic accident and that it could not have anticipated it happening.