There was still a strong chemical smell in The Dippy in Frome today (November 6) following a reported pollution spill into the central water culvert.

In what has been reported as a fuel oil spill from the industrial estate upstream, the culvert was today not visibly contaminated but the strong odour remained.

The culvert runs on into the main river in Frome about half a kilometre downstream.

The Environment Agency were called out to The Dippy yesterday (November 5) checking the spill.

Frome Ecology and Sustainability adviser Sue Everett told Nub News : " I urge all of those businesses on the industrial estate to ensure that all they have effective procedures in place to ensure that no polluting substances get into the surface water drainage system either deliberately or accidentally.

"If they fail to have adequate risk management and assessment procedures in place their businesses could be landed with a whopping great fine, so it is in their interest to take care.

According to the environmentalist there have been at least four other significant pollution incidents originating from the industrial estate over the last three years. And this is the second fuel oil spill into the Adderwell stream, other incidents related to vehicle washing and a fast food company tipping fat into the surface water system.