Walsall Council has urged members of the public to avoid a 12-mile section of the Walsall canal after tests confirmed sodium cyanide had been dumped into the canal.
‘The spillage, which includes sodium cyanide, has gone into the canal in Walsall and as a precautionary measure, we are asking the public to avoid an extended area of the canal and towpaths from the Walsall lock flight to the lock flights at Rushall/Ryders Green and Perry Barr,’ said a council statement.
The source of the spillage has been identified and stopped and an investigation into its causes is underway.
Council leader Garry Perry said: ‘Our priority is the safety of our residents. I share their concerns and hope to see this incident resolved as soon as possible. We are working closely with our partners to manage this situation which has been declared a major incident.’
