Lorry trailer sparks chemical alert

Criticism has been levelled at the police and local authorities for taking no early action on a lorry trailer abandoned for several weeks in a layby near Midhurst.

By The Newsroom

Published 13th Feb 2003, 13:22 BST

Updated 7th Jun 2018, 22:36 BST

The unmarked trailer, which had been in the layby west of the town since early January, caused a major alert on Sunday when a fire was started and a substance leaked from inside.

The A272 west of the town was closed for two hours while the emergency services, the Environment Agency, district council environmental health officers and county emergency planning staff tried to assess the hazard.

Because of uncertainty about what it contained, the trailer and the layby were cordoned off and there was an overnight police guard until specialist chemical experts travelled from Wales to carry out tests.

After Sunday's alarm, the Midhurst and Petworth Observer was contacted by a number of people who drive regularly along the A272 and were concerned that the trailer and its unknown contents had been allowed to remain for so long.

Full story in the Midhurst and Petworth Observer (Feb13).