Vat of acid dumped in street
RESIDENTS were told to stay in their homes with their windows closed after a drum of acid was found dumped in their street yesterday.
The alarm was raised after the large can of hydrochloric acid was spotted on a footpath in Blaby.
Fumes or vapours could be seen rising from it, according to Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
Emergency services sealed off an area at the junction of Grove Road and Dovedale Avenue while they established what the liquid was and whether it posed any risk to public health. Residents in the immediate vicinity were advised to stay in their homes and to keep their windows closed.
Firefighters established the drum contained hydrochloric acid, which has a variety of industrial uses.
A fire service spokesman said: “The report was that the container was on the footpath and it was fuming – that is, they could see fumes emanating from it.”
A spokesman for Blaby District Council said: “We arranged for a specialist contractor to remove it and dispose of it responsibly.”