‘Three day’ warning issued after lorry crash causes major oil spill

A major city road was closed off this afternoon after a large oil spill from a lorry. A long stretch of Balliol Road in Bootle[1] was affected, from Derby Road to Breeze Hill. Oil was visible nearly the full length of the road’s eastbound carriageway.

The incident was reported to Merseyside Police at around 5.20pm. According to police, there was a “collision involving a lorry and a car” which led to the spillage. No injuries were reported.

A highway maintenance team told the ECHO at the scene it would likely “take two or three days to clear the oil”, and Balliol Road would have to remain partially closed while work is carried out. The tanker was spotted waiting to be recovered just past the junction with Balliol Road and Hawthorne Road. It was reportedly carrying vegetable oil from a depot on the Dock Road.

Fire crews and police were on the scene to manage the incident, with police enforcing the road closures. A lorry got stuck in the oil at the junction of Derby Road and Millers Bridge, which held up traffic for a while on Derby Road. Fire crews and highway maintenance helped the driver by putting down grit so he was able to manoeuvre away safely.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “We can confirm that emergency services are currently in Bootle following a road traffic collision involving a lorry and a car. “The incident was reported at around 5.20pm near the junction of Balliol Road and Hawthorne Road. “There have been no reported injuries but the collision has resulted in an oil spillage from the lorry and a road closure is currently in place while emergency services deal with the incident.

“Motorists are advised to avoid the road. Thank you for your patience while we deal with this incident.” This is not the first time an oil spillage has happened in the area.

One local taxi driver told the ECHO he and his fellow drivers are “sick to death” of it happening.

He said: “We will have traffic chaos in Bootle for the next three days again”.

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References

1. ^ Bootle (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
2. ^ The Liverpool City Region General Election 2024 survey: Tell us how you feel about NHS, immigration, Keir Starmer and more (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
3. ^ CCTV ‘shows Dr Michael Mosley falling over’ before he died (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
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