A statement has been issued addressing a chemical spill in Trafford Park that triggered a major incident to be declared.
A massive emergency services response was scrambled to the area on Monday morning, and residents and businesses in Trafford Park and the surrounding areas were told to keep keep all doors and windows shut.
Lanxess, a specialty chemical company with a plant on Tenax Road, confirmed that the spillage occurred during the unloading of a tanker truck.
The company has also confirmed that a full investigation will take place.
The chemical spill triggered a 300m cordon around the scene in Trafford Park until the Major Incident was de-escalated yesterday afternoon.
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One person, believed to be a worker at the plant, was taken to hospital as a precaution.
A spokesperson for North West Ambulance Service confirmed that the risk to the public was low, but issued some symptoms to watch out for.
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They said: “If anyone in the local area suffers symptoms including breathlessness, wheezing or bluing of the lips and fingers, you are advised to seek medical help via NHS 111 online – 111.nhs.uk.”
Lanxess has now issued a statement addressing yesterday’s chemical spill incident in Trafford.
A spokesperson said: “Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has begun the investigation of today’s incident at the site in Trafford Park, Manchester, thoroughly. At around 9 o’clock this morning, a chemical spilled during the unloading of a tanker truck.
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“Emergency services arrived at the site shortly after to work with the site and contain the spillage. The leak was contained and stopped by late morning.
“To ensure safety of all employees, the site was evacuated. One person was taken to hospital for observation as a precaution. The cooperation with emergency services and authorities went smoothly.”
A spokesperson for NWAS said: “We can confirm that we have deescalated from a Major Incident after a chemical leak at an industrial site on Tenax Road, Trafford Park, Manchester.
“Resources were scaled back to support the ongoing operation by Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service however, the incident has now closed down with all NWAS resources leaving site.
“Our protocols require us to deploy enough vehicles to support a large-scale incident; fortunately, they weren’t required on this occasion. One patient has been taken to hospital for further assessment.
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“The risk to the public from the leak has been determined to be low; however, if anyone in the local area suffers symptoms including breathlessness, wheezing or bluing of the lips and fingers, you are advised to seek medical help via NHS 111 online – 111.nhs.uk.
“We want to thank the local community for their patience while emergency services continue to deal with the situation.”
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Three Manchester motorways named in UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’
Emily Sergeant
Three motorways in and around Manchester have been named the ‘most challenging’ in the UK.
As part of MoneySuperMarket’s new Great British Motorway Report, new research has found that one in three UK motorists find motorway driving ‘stressful’ – despite more than 70 billion miles being travelled on Britain’s motorways each year.
From delays and congestion to high traffic levels, there are a number of factors that can contribute to driver stress levels.
But are some motorways more challenging for drivers than others? According to the data, yes. And three of the top 10 worst motorways in the UK are in and around Greater Manchester.
To find out which are the most challenging, MoneySuperMarket analysed everything from collision rates and roadworks, to lane closures and driver feedback in order to reveal the top 10.
Manchester is home to three of the UK’s top 10 most challenging motorways – the M602, M62, and M60, the latter of which took the top spot on the list.
Three Manchester motorways have been named in the UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’ / Credit: pxfuel
Encircling Greater Manchester and linking many of the region’s motorways, the M60 recorded the lowest overall score in the index.
Despite handling significant volumes of traffic, the M60 experienced some of the highest average delays, at 15.58 seconds per vehicle per mile, and alongside this, it saw 34 collisions in the past year alone. But despite these challenges, the M60 remains an essential route for regional connectivity, and often cannot be bypassed.
“If you’re feeling anxious, allow extra time for your journey so you don’t feel pressured to rush or make last-minute decisions,” commented Alicia Hempsted at MoneySuperMarket.
“Plan your route in advance, including where you’ll stop for breaks, as regular rest stops can help you stay alert and reduce stress on longer trips, and if you’re travelling alone, consider sharing your route with someone you trust if it helps you feel more comfortable.”
Featured Image – Mike Birdy (via Pexels)
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Chinatown restaurant pleads for help after dine-and-dash customer leaves staff member in A&E
Daisy Jackson
A brilliant restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown has shared CCTV and a heartfelt appeal after one of its staff members was left in A&E.
Noodle Alley shared that one of its young staff members chased after a group of dine-and-dash customers who’d left without paying for their meal.
The restaurant then said that she was ‘assaulted’ at some point in the chase and ended up in A&E.
In their statement, Noodle Alley said that the staff member ‘had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this’.
They wrote: “What has this world come to? A violent man sent our staff to A&E over an unpaid meal.”
The CCTV shows a group of three young men, all carrying Selfridges shopping bags, entering the restaurant.
They sit and enjoy a meal, before two of them slip out of the restaurant. The third man then exits but is chased by a Noodle Alley staff member.
It’s at this point – out of the range of the restaurant’s CCTV – that they said she was assaulted ‘after going beyond her duty to try and recover what had been taken’.
The family business said that she has been ’emotionally affected’ by the incident.
The police are involved and the restaurant has appealed for anyone who can help with their investigation to get in touch.
It’s also the second time they’ve appealed about a dine-and-dash customer in the last few months, but this incident went ‘far beyond’ previous incidents.
In their full statement, Noodle Alley said: “We’re a small family business, and lately it feels like small businesses are being targeted again and again.
“But this time, it went far beyond anything we have experienced before.
“One of our young staff members — a girl simply doing her job — was assaulted after going beyond her duty to try to recover what had been taken from our restaurant. She ended up in A&E.
“What hurts us most is seeing how emotionally affected she has been by what happened. She told us she had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this.
“We work hard to look after our staff and our customers, and nobody should have to go through this simply for doing their job.
“We have reported the incident to the police.
“If anyone recognises these individuals or has any information that could help the police with their investigation, please contact us or the police directly.
“We’re sharing this because we believe our staff deserve to feel safe at work.”
Daisy Jackson -
5th March 2024 
