COUNTY NEWS: Controlled explosion of hazardous chemical found in Sussex school

A potentially hazardous chemical discovered in a Sussex school was destroyed on a beach this morning, police have confirmed.
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Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers carried out a controlled explosion of the A-level chemical at West Wittering, Chichester, in the early hours of today, police said.

The powdered substance stored at Chichester High School was found to have deteriorated, creating a potential hazard, a police spokesperson said.

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A Government advisory note has been issued regarding 2,4-DNPH, (2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine), which is widely kept for A-level experiments, but can become dangerous if allowed to dry out.

Chichester High School has issued an emergency closure for today, after checks revealed the hazard yesterday.

Sixth Form students due to take the iGCSE English exam at the high school were relocated to the nearby Bishop Luffa School, which did not found any DNP in its own stores.

Police said there was no risk to anyone at the high school and it was not necessary to evacuate the school or call upon other emergency services.

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West Sussex County Council has stated it is not aware of any other schools affected by the issue.

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