A CHEMICAL spill at an Okehampton factory resulted in staff being evacuated from the premises last week, while the area was made safe by around 30 firefighters.

Firecrews were called out to Kerry Aptunion on the Exeter Road industrial estate in Okehampton shortly after 11am last Thursday, following the report of a chemical leak.

The alarm was raised following the leakage of between 25-50 litres of a caustic substance from a drum.

The peracetic acid was described as a white creamy solution which was giving off a pungent smell.

Two appliances from Okehampton, one from North Tawton and Hatherleigh, as well as a crew and a special decontamination vehicle from Exeter attended the scene following the incident.

It was also the first time the Incident Response Unit based in Okehampton was deployed.

Breathing apparatus and special contamination suits were used by firefighters to safely remove the leaking container.

Any remaining spillage was then cleaned up with two drums and absorbent mats were also removed from the factory and checked for contamination.

Firefighters left the scene at around 4pm after completing decontamination procedure.

Paul Slaven, Devon Fire and Rescue Service spokesmen said: ?Fortunately, it was not quite as serious as it could have been.?

Around 50 employees were evacuated from the unit as a precaution, no-one was injured in the incident and employees were later able to resume work.

Anthony Binns, site general manager at the factory, said: ?There was very little disruption ? we lost about an hour?s production.

?It was a small leak in the courtyard area, so people were only evacuated from the building as a precaution.?

Kerry Aptunion processes fruit and confectionary based products for the dairy, bakery and frozen food industries and uses the chemical as a cleaning agent.

Okehampton?s firefighters were called out to a further accident the same day, when a vehicle had been in collision with an electricity pole at Thorndon Cross.

The driver and two passengers suffered only minor injuries in the accident which happened around midnight on Thursday, September 9.