DOZENS of firefighters held an action-packed training exercise in the event of a chemical leak breaking out in Bury.

More than 40 fire officers from across Greater Manchester gathered at the Tetrosyl factory in Heap Bridge on Sunday for the drill.

Firefighters simulated a chemical spill into the River Irwell to see how quickly they could react and bring the “problem” under control.

Some of them waded into the water to lay floating booms, which can trap oil and other hazardous liquids.

Bury Fire Station watch commander Stephen Wilcock said: “It was a really worthwhile exercise and our staff learnt an awful lot from it, particularly about the capabilities of our specialist equipment.

“We now have Greater Manchester’s only incident command unit which specialises in dealing with chemical spills.” He added: “These drills are vital in ensuring our action plans are up to date and to ensure we are ready to face any challenge put infront of us.”

A similar practice operation took place last Wednesday when 30 fire officers from across the county acted out an horrific car accident in Heywood.

They simulated a vehicle plunging into the River Irwell, leaving seven “victims” needing to be rescued.

Eight firefighters based at Bury fire station and eight from Whitefield fire station were involved.