A LEAKING container on board an abandoned 40ft trailer sparked off a major chemical alert in Whitefield at the weekend.

The vehicle, which had been dumped at Park 17 industrial estate in Moss Lane, was cordoned off for four hours until the chemical in the container was identified.

It turned out to be concentrated creosote. The substance was leaking from one of six white containers on the back of the unmarked trailer. Also on board were a number of fridges.

Sub-officer Eddie Nuttall of Whitefield fire station said: "It looked as if someone had dumped the trailer and driven off.

"We wore protective clothing during the initial examination of the leak which took 25 minutes. But we couldn't identify what it was."

The fire service subsequently called out the technical support team, a unit of civilian scientists.

Samples of the liquid were removed and analysed in the team's van at the site before being identified as concentrated creosote.

The alert began at 10.30am on Saturday (Feb 17) and was called off at 2.45pm, although the trailer is thought to have been there for several days.

A fire crew from Whitefield and two from Broughton were at the scene throughout the alert.

The abandoned trailer was removed from Park 17 by a specialist transport team.