MOTORISTS are being urged not to worry when a road is used to test emergency plans for dealing with chemical spillages.

The exercise will take place on the old A19/A689 slip road, north of the Wolviston-Billingham roundabout, half a mile west of Newton Bewley.

Cleveland Police's emergency unit is organising the exercise, with chemical plant BASF, tomorrow, at 10am.

Sergeant Dave Kirk, of the emergency planning unit, said: "There will be no disruption to services, traffic or residents. The exercise will take place in a safe environment.

"I would like to make the public aware of the exercise, and highlight the fact that all agencies, together with the business sector, take the view of such a scenario actually occurring as a serious risk, and there is a need to plan and exercise the most appropriate response."

He added: "This area has an extremely good record of attending and dealing with such cases, and considering the vast amount of chemicals being manufactured and transported within our region, such situations are rare."