Eight people have been taken to hospital following a chemical incident at an industrial estate.

Emergency services were called to Easy Cleaning Solutions, in Thetford, at around 8.15am on Tuesday to reports of people feeling unwell after inhaling fumes.

Twenty people were assessed at the scene, at the town's Brunel Way industrial estate, with seven women and one man taken to West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, for further treatment.

A spokesperson for the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Today, we cared for eight patients who arrived at the West Suffolk Hospital following an incident in Thetford, who have now all been discharged.

"We thank our emergency department colleagues and public sector partners, particularly the East of England Ambulance Service, for their fast response which ensured that these patients were seen as quickly as possible.”

Easy Cleaning Solutions, which has declined to comment, manufactures a range of chemical and cleaning products, such as bleach, antiseptic and disinfectants, and employs more than 200 people.

It was previously known as Jeyes.

In 2019, the factory was evacuated after a fire involving chemicals broke out, requiring dozens of firefighters to tackle the blaze.

Tuesday's incident prompted a large scale response from the emergency services, with police and fire crews from Thetford, Sprowston and East Harling, on the scene, as well as four ambulances, four paramedic cars and three hazardous response vehicles. The crews had left by around 11am.

One worker, who asked not to be named, said: “I was in a different part of the factory when all this happened. But it is scary."

“I am sure I will get a rundown on actually what has happened and when, but I really hope my colleagues who have been taken to hospital are okay."

The company has been manufacturing chemicals for more than 150 years, with John Jeyes patenting his Jeyes Fluid disinfectant liquid in 1877.

The product, which was granted a Royal Warrant in 1896, is used for removing bacteria and is popular among gardeners for cleaning paths and greenhouses.

Jeyes was one of a number of large companies to establish major sites in Thetford in the 1950s and 1960s, as the town saw a period of significant growth as it took in new 'overspill' populations from London.