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Sussex chemical cloud unlikely to have come from France, say police Greens call for urgent inquiry into East Sussex chemical cloud
(about 4 hours later)
A chemical cloud that closed beaches across East Sussex on Sunday is “very unlikely” to have floated over from northern France, authorities have said. The Green party has called for an urgent investigation into the chemical cloud that closed beaches across East Sussex on Sunday.
One hundred and 50 people required treatment for stinging eyes, sore throats and vomiting, but the effects of the unknown substance were mostly minor, Sussex police said. Caroline Lucas, the party’s co-leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, said an inquiry was needed to determine “how this gas came to be in our atmosphere and engulfing our beaches and an action plan put in place to ensure this never happens again”.
Despite the incident, thousands were expected to flock to beaches along the south coast on Monday with temperatures due to reach up to 25C (75F). About 150 people required treatment for stinging eyes, sore throats and vomiting in the hours after the haze was first reported to have arrived from the sea at Birling Gap, between Eastbourne and Seaford, just before 5pm on Sunday.
In the past, chemicals have drifted across from factories in continental Europe, but weather models indicate this was not the case on Sunday, according to the Met Office. The haze was described by a witness as “immense” as it loomed off the coast of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs that afternoon.
Forecaster Jay Merrell suggested a vessel in the English Channel may have been responsible for the noxious haze, but stressed nothing conclusive had been proven and that inquiries continued. Birling Gap beach was evacuated by emergency services, and residents along the coastline towards Hastings were advised to keep windows and doors closed.
Bob Jefferey, of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Eastbourne division, said it would be business as usual. He said: “Whatever it was, it smelled like burnt plastic. It hung about and didn’t move yesterday because there was no wind. The cloud seems to have dispersed today though. The hospital has downgraded the threat to pretty much non-existent now.” A statement issued by Eastbourne district general hospital and Sussex police said the first patients to report to hospital received a “full decontamination treatment” that was later found to be unnecessary.
Jefferey added that five people had to be rescued from rising tides on Sunday, and urged beachgoers to watch sea levels. Although long queues amassed at the hospital into the evening, the effects of the unknown substance were mostly minor, with no one admitted for further treatment. The cloud had mostly dissipated by Monday morning, and authorities were treating it as an isolated incident.
People along the shoreline from Eastbourne to Birling Gap, near Beachy Head, were advised to close windows and doors on Sunday, but have been told it is now safe to open them. “Whatever it was, it smelled like burnt plastic,” said Bob Jefferey, of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Eastbourne division.
Kyle Crickmore, who had been enjoying the bank holiday weekend sunshine at the beach at Birling Gap with his family, tweeted: “Some sort of chemical incident at Birling Gap, eyes are streaming and there’s a strong smell of chlorine in the air.” Several agencies were working together to establish the nature of the gas and its origins, as speculation continued to mount on social media under the hashtag #BirlingGap. The coastguard was understood to be leading the operation.
Dan Sankey added: “Beautiful afternoon at Birling Gap cut short by some weird mist, burning everyone’s eyes which led to the beach and cliff being evacuated.” Authorities dismissed suggestions that the cloud may have crossed the Channel from northern France as “very unlikely”. Although chemicals have drifted across the Channel in the past, police said weather models indicated that could not have been the case on Sunday.
Sussex police said: “Neither the gas nor its source have been established, but agencies are continuing to investigate and have not ruled out either on-shore or off-shore locations, although it does appear that it did sweep in from the sea driven by onshore breezes. “Neither the gas nor its source have been established, but agencies are continuing to investigate and have not ruled out either onshore or offshore locations, although it does appear that it did sweep in from the sea driven by onshore breezes,” the hospital and police statement said.
“However, weather models suggest that an onshore source in northern France is very unlikely.” A video shared by Kyle Crickmore, who had been on the beach at Birling Gap with his family on Sunday, showed the cloud making landfall. He and others had commented on the “strong smell of chlorine in the air”.
Public Health England said anyone still suffering effects from the fumes should wash irritated areas with soap and water. The fire service has stopped dealing with the incident. #birlinggap pic.twitter.com/gBuMgP4Jls
The East Sussex fire and rescue service said it was “extremely unlikely” that the haze was chlorine, but gave no further detail.
Despite the incident, thousands of people were expected to flock to south coast on Monday, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 25C (75F).
Jonathan Hill, 28, who lives about half a mile from Birling Gap beach, said he and his girlfriend had begun to suffer immediately on returning home from holiday at about 4.30pm on Sunday.
“We got home, threw open the windows to air the house, and quickly developed stingy eyes. Initially we thought it might be hay fever,” he said. “It got so bad at one point I couldn’t see for about five minutes, it was very hurtful to open my eyes and I had to wash them with cold water.”
He said beachgoers did not appear to have been discouraged on Monday: “Everything seems to have cleared up completely today … It’s maybe a bit less busy than usual.”
Dan Sankey, who tweeted on Sunday about being caught out on Birling Gap with his family by the “weird mist, burning everyone’s eyes”, added on Monday that he was “keen for a quick explanation”.
“It’s not every day you wake up wondering, ‘Do I need contaminating?’ ... Until there’s clarity I can only fear the worst and expect the mutations to begin imminently.”
Public Health England said anyone still suffering effects from the fumes should wash irritated areas with soap and water.