Animals evacuated after RAF Brize Norton base fuel spill
- Published
A number of animals had to be moved to safety after the fuel spill
Ponies at an animal sanctuary have been evacuated from their field after a diesel spill from an RAF base.
About 1,600 litres spilled from a tank at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on to land occupied by neighbouring Time Out Animal Farm on Friday night.
Sanctuary founder Rob Rhodes said a number of Shetland ponies had to be moved to safety but were unharmed.
The RAF said the spill was spotted by a member of the public but it was quickly contained.
Mr Rhodes said he had been putting his animals to bed at about 18:00 GMT when a member of RAF personnel came running over.
He said: "They helped me remove the animals and put them into an area where I store the hay so they've been having a whale of a time.
"By the time I left late last night, they had got floodlights into my field, they had a tanker there that was pumping, the fire engines were there.
"Nobody did it deliberately. Everybody has accidents. They are doing the best they can."
The farm has set up a temporary feeding station for the ponies
Mr Rhodes said "sausage-shaped" barriers had been put around the spill to prevent it from spreading.
RAF Brize Norton tweeted, external: "Please be aware, there has been a diesel spillage from our station on to land occupied by the Time Out Animal Sanctuary.
"Our personnel are deployed and working with external agencies to deal with the spillage. Please do avoid the area."
An RAF spokesman said: "Yesterday a member of the public notified us that a diesel spill at RAF Brize Norton had affected nearby farmland.
"RAF personnel quickly contained the limited spill and are on site to clear the remaining diesel. There was no impact on operations."
The Environment Agency said a tank had lost its contents and flowed on to neighbouring farmland.
"The diesel has now been recovered from the surface but the ground has been contaminated. No diesel pollution has been found in local watercourses," a spokesman said.
"We are working with the RAF and their contractors to investigate the cause of the diesel spill and to advise on appropriate remediation".
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