Emergency services in hazmat suits rushed to a village in Oldham after a vintage watch sparked a late-night chemical alert. Police said a resident in Grasscroft, Saddleworth, was attempting to fix the timepiece, which was said to date back to the Second World War, when a 'potentially hazardous substance' fell out of it.
Concerned, the man dialled 999. Images from the scene show North West Ambulance Service incident response unit vans were scrambled, together with police and firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. It's understood there were concerns over the possible presence of radium. The radioactive chemical was used in small amounts in paint for wristwatches of the era.
Radium-dial watches and watch hands were coated to glow in the dark and often given to servicemen during the Second World War and members of the emergency services. Radium decays to a gas which can increase the risk of cancer if inhaled, according to a university study, and its use went on to be phased out in the 1970s on health grounds. Greater Manchester Police said emergency services attended as a precaution but were later stood down as the risk was 'deemed minimal'. The alert was sparked just before midnight on Wednesday.
There were no reports of any injuries. Ambulance crews, however, assessed the man, but said he was immediately discharged.
Fire crews, meanwhile, were at the scene for some 90 minutes.
In a statement, GMP said: "At 11.56pm last night (April 6), police were called with a report from a man that he had been fixing an old World War Two watch at his home in Grasscroft, when a potentially hazardous substance had fallen out of it causing concern. Emergency services attended as a safety precaution but were later stood down as the risk was deemed minimal."
North West Ambulance Service confirmed its attendance at the incident and said a 'patient' was assessed but discharged on scene.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: "At around 11.15pm on Wednesday 6 April, fire crews were called to an incident involving a potentially hazardous substance on Lovers Lane, Oldham.
"Two fire engines from Oldham and Mossley fire stations arrived quickly at the scene. Firefighters and a GMFRS hazardous materials officer conducted checks and ensured the scene was safe before handing over to colleagues from Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
"Fire crews were in attendance for around an hour and a half."
