Birling Gap evacuated after suspected chemical leak

A 'haze' that is causing discomfort for people along the coast from Eastbourne to Birling Gap has prompted emergency services to warn people to stay away from the beaches and to keep doors and windows closed if living near the coast.

A 'haze' that is causing discomfort for people along the coast from Eastbourne to Birling Gap has prompted emergency services to warn people to stay away from the beaches and to keep doors and windows closed if living near the coast.

The first report came from Birling Gap just before 5pm on Sunday (August 27) where up to 50 people had been affected by irritation to eyes and throats.

This seems to have been caused by an unknown haze coming in from the sea, but the source has not yet been established. Emergency services are treating people at Birling Gap and clearing the area.

People living along the coast in the area have been advised to keep doors and windows shut and to move away from the Birling Gap area in particular.

Lots of people have been tweeting about their experience of the gas, even from miles away: