Crews tackle acid spillage

Hundreds of litres of sulphuric acid are feared to have leaked from a trailer following an accident in the Scottish Borders.

Emergency workers are trying to limit the impact of the incident outside the village of Whitsome, near Duns.

The corrosive fluid leaked from an agricultural trailer which overturned while being towed by a tractor.

Six teams of firefighters, some wearing protective clothing, were called to the scene.

The ambulance service has deployed its chemical incident team from Edinburgh and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is sending experts to the scene. Police have sealed off the area

There are no reports of any injuries and there are not thought to be any houses near the site of the accident.

Police inquiry

However, there are concerns about pollution of local watercourses - most of which flow eventually into the River Tweed.

Police have launched an inquiry into the cause of the accident.

It has been estimated that about 75% of the trailer's load of 1,500 litres of sulphuric acid has been spilled.

Acid can be used to spray potato crops to kill foliage, known as shaws, in advance of harvesting.