AN investigation was under way today after a leak of more than 2,000 litres of paint at a Burnley industrial estate.

Hycrome, a powdered paints manufacturer, reported a substance leaking from their premises at 3.40am yesterday .

Seven fire engines answered the call, including a unit from Accrington.

Officers from the Environment Agency were also at the scene, in Widow Hill Road, Burnley.

Sub Officer Peter Kelly said: "We put clay mats on the drains to seal them to prevent the paint from going down them.

"We were at the scene for a couple of hours controlling the spill, before the Environment Agency took over."

The Environment Agency were today carrying out an investigation into the cause of the spill. Spokesman Steve Broughton said: "Some of the liquid waste got into a tributary of the river Brun. In the paint was a high level of metals which can be harmful to fish, although there hasn't been any reports of fish dying in the tributary, and as far as our investigations have told us the paint didn't get into the main river Brun where there are a lot more fish.

"We are going back to the scene today to find out exactly what happened. The company are undertaking a clean up operation which will involve using equipment to suck the paint out of the stream. We will be checking that this has been completed."

Nobody from Hycrome was available for comment today.