Tanker leaks 3,000 litres of herbicide into ditch

A crop spraying tanker was punctured whilst in transit earlier this week, spilling around 3,000 litres of herbicide into the surrounding environment.

The incident, in Compton, Newbury, warranted an environmental spill response team from the Environment Agency attending the spill site to assess the damage. When the sprayer had been punctured the liquid leaked onto the road and then flowed into a nearby ditch threatening the nearby River Pang.

A spokeswoman from the Environment Agency confirmed:

"We received a call this morning about a crop sprayer tank which had been punctured whilst in transit. Our environment officers attended the scene and saw that approximately 3,000 litres of herbicide had run across High Street and into a dry ditch by the side of the road."

The tanker was owned by the nearby Institute of Animal Health (IAH), their spokesperson, Nancy Mendoza, commented:

"This morning a quantity of herbicide spilled from a crop-sprayer and was contained on the road and within a ditch at the bottom of Churn Road in Compton.

"The Institute is working with the Environment Agency to minimise any potential impact of this spill, which was quickly halted from further spread thanks to the rapid actions of staff."