A CHEMICAL company was fined £5,000 yesterday after admitting responsibility for a toxic spill which threatened wildlife in a North-East river.

Tees Storage Co blamed a faulty valve after heavy concentrations of sodium cyanide leaked into the River Tees at its site on Seal Sands chemical complex, near Billingham.

The company pleaded guilty at Hartlepool Magistrates Court to allowing the chemical to enter protected waters at a concentration 25 times that allowed under licence.

Anne Silvester, prosecuting on behalf of the Environment Agency, said cyanide was a harmful toxic acid which is potentially damaging to wildlife if it gets into drains and other water courses.

But in this case, no damage was caused to fauna or flora in the river, despite a £20,000 intensive investigation by the agency, she said.

The leak of five tonnes of cyanide happened in July last year. Emergency services were called when staff were evacuated to pollution refuges nearby. Other chemical sites were also alerted.

David Gilliland, for Tees Storage, said the accident was unexpected and could not have been prevented. There had been no negligent behaviour. The company owned up to the accident immediately and pleaded guilty. Since the accident, the faulty tank and the valve had been repaired.

Magistrates ordered the company to pay £640 legal costs.