§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident involving an oil tanker at Ongar Road, Brentwood, causing the evacuation of a number of houses on Friday, 28th March; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesInquiries are not yet completed but the main facts are as follows. At about 7.30 a.m. on 28th March an oil tanker carrying petroleum spirit collided with a telegraph pole on an S-bend in Brentwood and overturned. The driver was uninjured. A seam in the tank split open and some petroleum spirit escaped. While the tanker was 157W being righted two manhole covers fell off and a larger quantity of petroleum spirit spilled on to the roadway. In view of the risk of an explosion, the emergency services decided to ask the occupiers of neighbouring houses to leave their homes and to extinguish all naked lights until the spillage had been disposed of.