Fire crews called to chemical spill at cheese factory

Three fire engines and a specialist hazardous substances unit were called out to a chemical spill at a dairy plant in southern Scotland.

Emergency services were sent to the Arla Foods plant near Lockerbie at about 14:20 on Wednesday.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) confirmed a chemical spillage had been present and one person had been assessed but did not require medical treatment.

Arla Foods said emergency services had attended "as a precaution" after an alarm activation and nobody had been injured.

Arla Foods started work on a new centre of excellence at its creamery in Lockerbie last year.

The company is investing £90m in the facility focusing on the production of UHT and lactose-free milk.

It has previously completed a £34m upgrade to the creamery's cheddar plant, which is one of the largest cheese-making facilities in the UK.

SFRS confirmed it had been alerted to an incident at the site at 14:19 on Wednesday.

It sent four vehicles to the scene and its crews worked to make the area safe.

Emergency services were on site for more than four hours.

"One casualty was assessed at the scene but did not require medical treatment," it said.

An Arla Foods spokesperson commented: "Emergency services attended our Lockerbie site as a precaution following an alarm activation with no reported injuries."