Fire service in Essex unveils anti-pollution equipment

New equipment designed to help Essex fire crews to cut pollution at incidents has been unveiled.

The unit will be used to contain leaking substances, such as hazardous chemicals or ash-polluted water, from getting into water courses.

It includes specialist pumps, absorbent materials, booms and drain blockers.

It has been funded by he Environment Agency, which has signed an agreement with Essex County Fire & Rescue Serivce to work more closely together.

Station officer John Harris said: "Throughout Essex there are a wide variety of extremely delicate environments.

"We want to make sure that what we do has as little effect on them as possible.

"The new unit gives us the equipment to ensure that we can hugely reduce, or even completely avert, pollutants from our incidents damaging the environment."