TWO police officers were taken to hospital today after a chemical spill on a busy road.

The constables, who were first at the scene this morning on Whitebirk Road, Blackburn, were overcome by fumes from sodium bisulphate.

PCs Mark Pilkington and Simon Hurst were taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary suffering breathing difficulties and were detained for observations.

Firefighters from Blackburn wore breathing apparatus as they washed the chemical from the road surface.

It is believed four containers toppled from the back of the lorry as it went around a roundabout and split as they hit the ground.

Police closed the road and set up diversions as huge queues built up in all directions and along the M65 during the rush hour.

Police Sergeant Mick Thornber said: "We had to send a lot of drivers back the way they had come, which obviously caused them a few difficulties and there were a lot of queues.

"But we managed to keep things flowing as best we could."

The chemical, which is sometimes used as a preservative, causes eyes to water and breathing difficulties for anyone coming into close contact.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.