Smelly French gas cloud hits UK

A cloud of gas released from a plant near Rouen in France has been causing a stink along the the south coast of England, however the people of Brighton were split as to whether they could detect the smell in the air:

The gas cloud from France made of a stenching agent, which is added to natural gas so that it can be smelled in the event of a gas leak, has now spread across the south of the country reaching as far west as Dorset:

Dorset Police have confirmed that they have received several calls believed to be connected to the leak of Mercaptan gas in France:

London Fire Brigade received 42 calls about the foul-smelling but harmless cloud of gas from Frnace than has wafted over parts of the south east - and announced it on Twitter in the style of Allo Allo character Officer Crabtree:

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said it had received more than 20 calls about the smell, mostly in the Portsmouth area, with reports that it had been noticed as far north as Basingstoke and Andover and as far west as Ringwood.

Group manager Tony Deacon said:

Police forces have been responding to calls from concerned residents after they smelt a foul-smelling gas in the south east.

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "South Kent residents are being asked to keep doors and windows closed due to a gas cloud that is believed to have come across from France, following reports of a gas leak from a factory 75 miles west of Paris."

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police tweeted that the gas did not pose a risk to the public:

This factory in the northern French city of Rouen is the source of a foul-smelling gas leak, which has been detected in the south-east of the UK.

A cloud of Mercaptan gas, which is added to municipal gas to alert people to gas leaks, accidentally leaked from the factory and drifted across the channel, prompting dozens of calls to the emergency services.

A foul-smelling cloud of gas which wafted over to parts of the south east from a chemical factory in France has prompted calls to emergency services.

The gas mercaptan was accidentally released from a factory in the northern city of Rouen travelled across the English Channel early this morning.

People in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and parts of London reported the unpleasant aroma but emergency services said the gas is harmless and presents no danger to the public.

Sussex Police said they had received more than 25 calls by 9.15am, neighbouring Surrey had 15 calls by 11.30am, and Kent Police reportedly had a large number of calls.

Mercaptan is added to municipal gas to alert people to gas leaks, among other uses.

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