Chemical incident sparks warnings to 'stay indoors' after chlorine cloud spreads in town

Residents were warned to close their windows urgently as firefighters rushed to the scene of a "chlorine cloud" that had developed over Surrey this afternoon. A spokesperson for Surrey Fire and Rescue said in a statement that the service was called to the incident just after midday today, and warned members of the public to keep their windows shut.

They said: "We were called to an incident at 12:11 today on Steels Lane in Oxshott, we currently have three fire & rescue vehicles and three officers in attendance. The incident involves the mixture of two ingredients used for swimming pools which has created a "chlorine cloud" in the area. The map shows the area impacted."

Chlorine is a chemical that typically serves in a range of uses, including in swimming pools and cleaning and usually, according to experts, does not exist naturally in gaseous form.

The chemical can be released into the atmosphere as a gas if it is accidentally released from "from an industrial site or transport vehicle", the government states.

People were warned to urgently close their windows as firefighters rushed to the scene in Surrey.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service released a map showing a huge part of Surrey, around Oxshott, has been impacted by the chemical incident.

The fire service confirmed the cloud had cleared by 15:42, it said: "The chemicals have now been contained. Residents can now reopen windows and doors as usual as there is no longer a risk to them."

A fire and rescue service presence may still be visible for the rest of the day, a spokesperson said.