大象传媒

People are being urged to avoid a stretch of a canal after a toxic chemical spilled into it.

The spillage was found on Monday in Pleck, Walsall, according to the local council who said the Environment Agency (EA) was first notified of it.

There was a potentially serious risk to people or their pet's health if they were exposed through direct physical contact with the water, officials added.

Access to the affected stretch, more than a mile of the canal between Spinks Bridge and Birchills Street Bridge, was closed.

The section of canal was also "contained" to reduce the harm to wildlife and the wider waterway, a council spokesperson said.

Anyone exposed to the water who felt unwell should seek medical advice through the NHS 111 service or dial 999 in an emergency, they added.

People were also told not eat any fish taken from the canal.