Acid leak at Legoland

A corrosive acid leaked out of a container at Legoland sparking an emergency operation at the Windsor tourist attraction.

Four fire engines and ambulance crews were called to the theme park at on Sunday after a leak was spotted in a hydrochloric acid container by a member of staff at 6.35pm.

The tank was inside a restricted staff-only area of the park and the acid is used for water treatment for the rides. It had to be removed with extreme caution using a forklift truck.
More than 30 firefighters from Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead descended on the site to carry out the removal.
Nobody was injured.

Watch manager Gary Nash from Maidenhead said: "We were there for about three and a half hours. We had eight people in gas-tight suits to help move the canister away. Everything went to plan."

A Legoland statement said there were about 3,000 people in the park at the time, but because the affected area was restricted access the staff decided it was safe to remain open.

The statement added: "Health and safety is the park’s number one priority. On the advice of the RBFRS the immediate area was isolated and as a precautionary measure, the park’s Wild Woods area was evacuated. "
"At no time were members of the public at risk as the affected area was in staff-only location."

Vicky Brown, general manager of the park: “Thanks to the swift response from our local fire crews, this minor incident was dealt with very quickly and efficiently. We continue to value the 24/7 cover Windsor Fire Station provides and will wholeheartedly support them in their campaign.”