A chemical spill forced the closure of a residential road for three hours last night.

Fifteen fire engines from across south-west London rushed to Elm Crescent, in Kingston, after a battery in a CCTV van overheated and corrosive acid leaked into the road.

Julie Samuels posted on Facebook: “Chaos in Canbury Park Road/ Elm Crescent/ Cowleaze Road. Chemical spill apparently. More fire engines than you can shake a stick at.”

The road was cordoned off, including nearby Canbury Business Park which was empty, until 11pm when firefighters had the area secured.

No one was in the CCTV van, which is believed to be owned by Kingston Council, and no one was hurt.

Kingston firefighter Paul Farnden said the volume of fire engines sent to the scene was a precaution as the seriousness of the spill was not known when the alarm was raised at 7.30pm.

He said: “It was a CCTV van that had a battery leak. The van didn’t go up but the battery acid was coming out into the road which was then cordoned off.

“If anyone had touched it it’s a corrosive so could have been very dangerous. I think they were Lithium lime batteries.”

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