TOXIC chemicals were released from a North-East factory because a valve failed to close, it was revealed last night.

Six people were taken to hospital following the incident at the Great Lakes Chemicals factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in January.

Members of Great Aycliffe Town Council heard an update on the chemical escape from Health and Safety Executive Inspector Linda Donachie at a meeting last night.

She told members that the substance was bromine vapours, which rolls and creeps along the ground.

The incident occurred when the material was being transferred into a seven-tonne vessel where it was being weighed.

Mrs Donachie added: "When the operator thought it was finished he closed the valve, but unbeknown to him the valve stuck in the open position.

"What happened was bromine kept passing on, eventually the vessel got full and there was nowhere else for it to go."

She said that investigations were still ongoing into why the valve failed to close and it would take some months to complete.

The council also heard from communicable disease expert Dr David Walker, who said that six people had been admitted to hospital.

Four of these were seriously injured and one required intensive therapy unit care. There were also seven people - which included two children - admitted to GPs' surgeries as emergency cases with minor complaints, but more were probably affected.

Problems ranged from chemical burns to respiratory difficulties.

He added: "In the short term following the Great Lakes incident we did have several serious injuries connected directly to the incident itself."

But he also said there were no detectable long term health implications.

The council, which had expressed concerns about the incident and the levels of pollutants released by factories in the town as a whole, also invited the Environment Agency to explain how they monitor emissions.

At the end of the meeting council leader Bob Fleming said he believed there had been many more people affected by the incident, but that the medical report had set his mind to rest.

He said: "I am very pleased to hear we are living in a place that is as good as anywhere else because we were worried there would be clusters of illness around the area."