Tyne shoreline closed by chemical leak

Members of the public in Newcastle are being warned to stay away from a 600 metre stretch of the River Tyne after hazardous chemicals were discovered on the site during a local authority survey.

Signs have been erected along the adjacent path warning passers-by not to venture down to the shoreline.

The area - popular with fishermen, dog walkers and families - is the site of an old tar factory that closed down in 1984.

Hazardous chemicals from the factory have now leaked down to the shoreline, posing a health risk to the public.

The chemicals include Benzene - which can cause cancer after prolonged exposure, and Naphthalene - which can cause pregnant women to have miscarriages.

However, the Health Protection Agency is keen to stress that the concentration of the chemicals along the Tyne is extremely low, and that the only health risk they are likely to pose is skin irritation.

Cleaning up the shoreline is expected to take many years, and could end up costing millions of pounds.