LONDON

A major incident has been declared in England's West Midlands after poisonous sodium cyanide spilled into a canal, sparking potential serious health concerns.

The Walsall Council said agencies across the West Midland Local Resilience Forum are treating the chemical spillage into the canal in Walsall as a major incident, with a multi-agency response.

In a statement on Tuesday, the council said that as a precautionary measure, they have asked the public to avoid an extended area of the canal.

"We can confirm the Environment Agency have developed a testing regime to test the water for sodium cyanide and other chemicals," it added.

Sodium cyanide dissolves in water and can have serious adverse health effects for those who come into direct physical contact with it, warned the council.

"There is a potential serious risk to health if you or your pets are exposed (direct physical contact with the water) in the affected stretch of the canal," it added.

Councilor Garry Perry, leader of the Walsall Council, said: "Our priority is the safety of our residents. I share their concerns and hope to see this incident resolved as soon as possible."

Sodium cyanide is used in industry in such areas as metal cleaning, extraction and photography.