CHILDREN playing at a disused industrial building sparked a chemical alert when they knocked over barrels of a mystery liquid.

It is understood three boys called the fire brigade to the flood-hit Sparkprint depot in Northallerton's Yafforth Road themselves, fearing they may have been splashed with acid.

But an investigation confirmed the containers held no more than heavily diluted anti-freeze and, although the youngsters were taken to the Friarage Hospital for checks, they were not seriously hurt.

Units from Northallerton, Richmond and Harrogate helped clean up the mess on Friday night.

About 1,000 litres of diluted ethanediol had been spilled, with an estimated 80 litres getting as far as the drains.

However, although the Environment Agency was alerted, a spokeswoman said yesterday no further action seemed likely.

"We will be talking to the company and asking them to review security at the site, but would not expect it to go further than that," she said.