Major incident in West Midlands after sodium cyanide spill into Walsall canal

Public told to stay away from 12-mile stretch of canals and towpaths after spillage of toxic chemical

A major incident was in place on Wednesday after authorities said a spill of sodium cyanide into a West Midlands canal posed a serious health risk to the public.

Members of the public are being advised to avoid a 12-mile stretch of canals and towpaths centred in Walsall after the toxic spillage, understood to have happened on Monday.