THREE men were taken to hospital after a chemical incident at Fairacres Road in Bebington triggered a major alert.

A 100-metre cordon was set in place around the area and firefighters were advising local residents to close their windows as a precaution.

The fire service said liquid leaking from the back of a bin wagon had resulted in a chemical reaction, with the three Biffa operatives affected by the vapour.

Wirral Globe:

Emergency services in Fairacres Road 

They were assessed at the scene by paramedics and taken by ambulance for checks at Arrowe Park Hospital, where they were later released .

The alarm was raised at around 10am on Tuesday and the major operation was scaled down shortly after 2pm.

A convoy of emergency vehicles converged at the site, including Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service’s hazardous material incident truck.

Wirral Globe:

Emergency services in Fairacres Road 

After a survey of the scene, specialist firefighters later confirmed the material which had caused the vapour was a “highly acidic substance.”

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A Wirral Council spokesman said: “We will be speaking to all relevant parties to establish the exact circumstances of what happened.”

“We take our duty of care to residents and everyone who works for the council or on our behalf very seriously.”

Merseyside fire service group ganager, Chris Case said: "Fire and rescue service personnel utilised specialist detecting and monitoring equipment to investigate the cause of an unknown vapour coming from the rear of a bin lorry, which had resulted in three workers feeling unwell.

"The substance was found to be a strong acid, possibly a strong drain cleaning solution, which would be unlikely to be intended for domestic use.

"A variety of agencies worked closely to resolve this incident and minimise the wider disruption.

"Members of the public should always ensure that they dispose of any unused cleaning products or chemicals safely, and only use those intended for domestic purposes."