A small chemical and gas leak at Rolls-Royce's Raynesway site in Derby brought a major emergency response on Thursday evening, with a 300-metre cordon, road closures and advice for nearby residents to stay indoors. The incident was declared safe later the same night and the site was handed back to the company.

The leak happened at about 15:40 GMT on Thursday 12 November. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to the site shortly after 16:00, and police, firefighters and ambulance crews attended. A BBC reporter at the scene was advised by police to stay in her car for her safety, and an alarm could be heard sounding from inside the building.

What happened at Raynesway

Rolls-Royce described the incident as a suspected gas leak involving a product used in its manufacturing process, confined to the main production area. A company spokesman said staff were in the process of putting the problem right when the alarms went off, and as a precaution workers were asked to stay inside the building while further work was carried out.

Emergency services confirmed that all Rolls-Royce employees were accounted for. Firefighters and specialists from Rolls-Royce worked together to contain the leak as safely and quickly as possible.

The cordon and road closures

A 300-metre cordon was put in place around the factory, and several roads were closed while the response continued. The closures included Royal Scot Way, Pride Park Way between Derby Audi and the London Road roundabout, Harrow Street, and London Road between Harrow Street and Meadow Lane.

People living in the Alvaston area of Derby were advised to keep their windows and doors closed, and residents on the affected roads were told to stay indoors until further notice. The advice was a precaution while emergency services established the extent of the leak and made the site safe.

Not a nuclear incident

Police and the fire service were quick to stress that the incident was not nuclear-related. That reassurance mattered because the Raynesway site designs, manufactures and supports the nuclear reactors and steam-raising plants that power every submarine in the Royal Navy, and the site's role means any incident there draws close attention.

In a statement, Derbyshire Constabulary said: "A small chemical and gas leak occurred at approximately 15.40 hours today. It is important to stress that this is not a nuclear incident. All Rolls-Royce employees are accounted for. Firefighters and specialists from Rolls-Royce are working to contain the leak as safely and quickly as possible."

The emergency services said they had turned out in force because that is the procedure when the alarms sound at the site, and they thanked local residents and businesses for their cooperation while the incident was resolved.

Cordon lifted and site handed back

In a statement released at 21:45, Derbyshire Constabulary confirmed that the 300-metre cordon and the road closures had been lifted, and that local residents no longer needed to remain indoors. The stay-indoors advice had been lifted shortly before 22:00, and responsibility for the incident was handed back to Rolls-Royce.

Officers also reminded the public that the Raynesway site is a no-fly zone, and warned against flying drones over the premises. The roads around the factory reopened once the incident had been brought under control.

The incident is the latest test of the emergency plans around one of Derby's most sensitive industrial sites, and the speed with which the cordon was lifted will reassure residents who spent the evening indoors. Rolls-Royce has not yet said what caused the leak, and the company is expected to review the incident with the emergency services.

Sources: BritBrief, reporting statements from Derbyshire Constabulary and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, and BBC reporting from the scene.