Crews called out to chemical leak

Two firefighters have been treated for eye and throat irritation after tackling a chemical leak at a Lincolnshire factory.

Crews were alerted to the emergency at Padleys in Gonerby Hill Foot near Grantham at 1930 BST on Tuesday.

Site engineers and firefighters wore special protective suits while they dealt with the leak from a pipe.

The teams managed to isolate the leak and contain it within a freezer unit at the site.

Medical checks

Three engines attended after workers smelt the gas which is stored under pressure as a liquid.

Neil Fritzche, operational support manager, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said: "They'd had this smell of ammonia within the factory and they'd actually sent some engineers into the factory to have a look where the leak was.

"We actually train industrial engineers to use breathing apparatus and on this occasion they were able to put it into use and work with our teams.

"Their quick actions actually saved a major leak."

The two firefighters were taken to hospital for medical checks but they were released a short time later.

Further tests are to be carried out at the site on Wednesday to check for any further potential problems.