Leak at Forth oil terminal is 'not worrying'

Oil industry giant BP has insisted that a ballast water leak in the Firth of Forth is nothing to be concerned about.

Emergency services were called to BP's Hound Point Terminal, an oil handling facility near South Queensferry, when a member of the public raised the alarm after noticing discoloured water draining into the sea with a strong sulphurous smell.

Lothian and Borders Police insisted that there was no oil spill but that the leak was of ballast water, stagnant sea water used to keep tankers stable when they are being filled with oil.

As a precautionary measure a 100m exclusion zone has been put in place around the pipe and a strong smell remains around the foreshore area.

"Although this gas has a strong smell, it will have no impact on the health of local residents due to the low levels released," a spokesman for NHS Lothian told STV.

Posted by Claire Manning