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Police probe contamination of reservoir's household supplies Water spiked with weed-killer
EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION by Victoria West
DRINKING water which supplies homes in Tring was deliberately poisoned with weed-killer, The Gazette has learnt.
Emergency tests uncovered the toxic chemical after a Thames Water storage reservoir was broken into.
Experts insist the levels were not harmful to health but police have launched a major investigation and security is under review.
The alarm was raised after a member of Thames Water staff discovered the water tank at Dancers End, just outside of Tring, had been broken into.
The supply was immediately shut off and tests revealed sodium chlorate, a chemical herbicide used to kill unwanted plants and weeds, had been dumped in the water.
Despite the discovery being made on Monday, July 31, bosses at Thames Water chose not to tell customers what had happened and are insisting the drinking water has remained safe.
The Gazette only found out about the incident after an
anonymous tip-off.
The reservoir at the centre of the alert supplies water to homes in Tring and a small area east of Aston Clinton near Halton in Bucks.
After being put through treatment works the drinking water is stored at the reservoir before being fed straight into the water supply.
The break-in is believed to have happened on Monday, July 31.
A spokesman for Thames Water said: “Extensive tests have been carried out on the water and low levels of sodium chlorate were found in the isolated supply. No significant amounts were found in the water distributed to customers.”
He said regular checks were made at the reservoir, which is fenced off and secured by locks. He refused to say how much of the weed-killer was discovered in the water but said it had been diluted and was a trace amount which would not harm health.
Sodium chlorate comes in dust, spray and granule format.
Contact with the skin and eyes can cause severe irritation and even burns.
High levels can interfere with the ability of blood to carry oxygen causing headaches, tiredness, dizziness and a blue colour to the skin and lips and very high amounts of the chemical can cause breathing troubles, collapse and even death.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), which regulates public water supplies, is investigating the incident. The watchdog carried out its own tests of the water but said nothing harmful to health was found.
The spokesman from the water company said: “There is no evidence of unusual levels of pollutants in the water. It is not at a level which would be dangerous to health. We are still testing the water, but what we have found is very small amounts.”
According to the DWI there is no standard in the UK for levels of sodium chlorate in water.
The International Programme on Chemical Safety, a group that establishes the scientific basis for safe use of chemicals, says serious poisoning in adults would occur if 15g of sodium chlorate was ingested.
Thames Valley Police, who are investigating the incident, said counter terrorism officers were not involved.
Spokesman Tim Prince said: “We are pretty certain someone had broken into the site illegally and a small amount of chemical has been added to the water.
“We are assuming someone has broken in and done that.”
Thames Valley Police called a Strategic Gold Control Meeting with the involved groups, including Thames Water, The Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency, last week to help with the investigation.
These types of meetings are called by the police to meet with involved organisations following incidents to discuss how to deal with them and what to do in the future.
Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call Thames Valley Police on 0845 850 5505.
Post office in village pub up for award Stamps and
a pint please!
PULLING a pint and selling a book of stamps is all in a day's work for Long Marston pub landlord Tim Fielding.
As well as being the local pub, The Boot Inn also houses the village's only shop and post office.
Customers are so pleased with the post office, where they can also pick up a quick drink, that it has been nominated for this year's Best Post Office Awards.
After the village store closed down three years ago, Mr Fielding and Sue Telling decided to divide the pub in two so it could accommodate a post office and shop.
Mr Fielding said: “If we didn't have a post office and shop village life would die without a doubt. We had the space and it made economical sense.”
He added: “We get people coming in for the shop and having a quick beer - that goes hand in hand.”
The move has been a huge success and the pub shop sells everything you would expect to find, from fruit and vegetables to bottles of wine.
The hardworking couple, who have two sons, Cullen, eight and Charlie, six, rise at 6am to sort out the newspapers and do not shut their doors on weekdays until 11pm.
Post office customers across the country are being invited to nominate their local branch for the regional and national Post Office Awards 2006.
Nominations close on September 1 when a regional judging panel will be called in to shortlist the best.
Spokesman for the Post Office Ruth Barker said: “Pubs are really popular places for post offices. Pubs all around the country have got post offices in them because they are often the heart of the village.”
The Boot Inn is the hub of village life, serving up all day breakfasts, which sees workers arrive at 7am for a hearty full English, and playing host to the village football team as well as holding coffee afternoons for older residents.
There is even internet access on offer. Mr Fielding said of the nomination for the award: “It is nice to know we are appreciated but we're just getting on with our jobs.”
The Boot Inn is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 7am to 11pm, Wednesdays 7am to 1pm and 5pm to 11pm, Saturday 9am to 11pm and Sunday 9am to 10.30pm.
Village fete takes off
FLIGHTS of Fancy was the theme for this year's 68th Long Marston Village Show during the weekend.
Around 500 people turned out for the event where they could get up close to a variety of owls used in some well-known blockbuster movies and find out how a hot air balloon, brought in from RAF Halton, actually works.
Guests were also impressed by model airplanes whizzing through the sky operated by Hemel Hempstead Model Flying Club on Saturday, August 5.
Organisers started planning the annual show back in February and events manager David Severs said: “We were very pleased with it. Our aim is not to make money but to give everybody a good day out and
really to keep hold of the tradition of the whole show.”
Charity stalls also joined in the day to raise cash for good causes and the Hemel Hempstead Band got people tapping their feet to the musical entertainment.
The Victory Hall in the village was dedicated to competitions on the day, which included the horticultural show where John North won first prize for his stunning gladioli.
Six-year-old Amy McMunn bagged first place for her cake making skills.
Try before you buy at market
VISITORS to Tring's Friday Charter Market can enjoy free tasters of the goodies on offer and fun activities for children.
Shoppers will be able to try before they buy on Friday, August 11 and 18 as part of a market campaign called Fresh on Friday.
A bouncy castle will also be on the Brook Street market site where youngsters can play while parents browse and on Friday, August 25 face painting will be on offer.
Charities are also joining traders and setting up stalls at the market to raise cash for good causes. The campaign has been organised by market operators Bray Associates, Tring Town Council and Tring Together to encourage people to visit the market, which runs from 9am to 3.30pm.
Good end to school's term
TEACHERS at a Tring school ended the summer term by giving pupils a pat on the back to celebrate their best ever exam results.
Grove Road Primary School has just received its highest SATs results since the national tests were first introduced in schools.
Youngsters gained top results, which exceeded targets set by the school.
The results came during a school year already marked with many successes including a positive Ofsted inspection in March.
Ofsted inspectors said: “This is a good school. There are notable strengths in many aspects of school life that help ensure pupils achieve well and leave the school as well-rounded individuals.”
All the 11-year-olds who took the exams achieved level four or above in the science exam and 98 per cent gained level four or above in English and maths.
Many pupils were awarded the higher level five in the exams, which is above the national average. 64 per cent achieved level five in English, 58 per cent in maths and 88 per cent in science.
National statistics show that most 11-year-olds taking SATs are expected to achieve level four and most 14-year-olds taking SATS are expected to gain level five or six.
Head teacher John Grubb said: “We are absolutely delighted with this year's results and with our recent Ofsted report. We know we have a good school and it is highly rewarding to have it recognised in two such positive ways in the space of a few months.”
Come and sea
IMAGES of the sea are part of the latest exhibition to come to the Long Room Gallery in Tring.
Works by Cornish painter Robert Jones will be shown alongside those of his son, Ben and daughter, Ruth until Friday, September 8.
Today Robert's paintings are widely sought by collectors and this is his first exhibition in Hertfordshire.
The gallery in The Courtyard off Church Close is open Monday to Saturday 10.30am to 4.30pm.
Longer hours for village pub
A VILLAGE pub and restaurant in Aldbury has been granted extended hours by council licensing chiefs.
A licensing meeting on Tuesday, July 25, passed an application for The Greyhound Inn to stay open and serve alcohol later.
The application was put forward by family brewers Hall and Woodhouse to allow the pub to stay open until 12.30am, seven days and week and to serve alcohol until midnight.
The brewers also asked to be allowed to serve late night refreshments until 12.30am.
Cashing up
TRING'S famous auction rooms are to appear on TV in BBC's Cash in the Attic which features people selling hidden treasures, many found in the attic during a good clear-out!
This is the second time BBC crews have visited the Brook Street auction rooms.
In February hundreds of locals turned out to see the filming of Flog It!
If you are interested in taking part in Cash in the Attic visit www.bbc.co.uk/antiques/tv_and_radio/cashintheattic_form.shtml
Art comes naturally
Science writer Sara Wickenden hopes that her work will inspire people to take a really good look at the natural world.
She will be one of the many artists displaying work for the Hertfordshire Visual Arts Forum's Open Studios event which takes place from Saturday, September 2 to Sunday, September 24.
It will be Sara's first exhibition for this event as she has only recently begun to seriously pursue her dream of being a professional artist since being asked by The Science Journal to produce illustrations.
Sara did a zoological degree at Nottingham University in the 90s and held her first art exhibition then.
She said: “I guess this one's going to be like putting on a theatre production. I want people to notice things they usually don't about the natural world.”
Sara works with watercolour and experiments with a variety of mediums, using different materials to create designs, like throwing salt over a piece to make the pigment repel.
She also works with encaustic, a technique for painting with wax, which she found a knack for after taking a class in the skill.
Her work produces vibrant, tactile, dynamic images fusing painterly encaustic, mixed media and photographic techniques, with inspirations from nature, poetry, culture and science.
Her exhibition at 1 The Green House, Wilstone, Tring will be open on September 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, ,17, 20, 22 and 23 between 11am and 7pm on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays and 11am and 3pm on Wednesdays.
For more information visit her website at www.artofscience.co.uk , or call 01442 891970.
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