Major wildlife alert after tanker spill near Liffey

A pollution alert is under way in Dublin after hundreds of gallons of oil leaked into the River Liffey after an accident involving a tanker and a lorry.

The crash happened in the Palmerstown district and led to traffic restrictions on a nearby section of motorway.

Two cars were also involved in the incident, but no one was seriously hurt.

Dublin Corporation said about 20,000 litres of fuel oil had seeped into the river through the drainage system, and efforts were being made to contain the pollution.

Officials warned that the incident could pose a serious environmental threat if the clean-up operation involving a number of agencies did not work.

A number of absorbent booms were placed across the river and special equipment was brought to the scene in a bid to vacuum up the polluted water.

A corporation spokesman said: "This is the worst pollution threat to affect the Liffey for many years. The safety of fish and birds in the river depends on the tides and their movements."

All swans in the affected area of the Liffey have been removed as a precaution.

Some ducks have been taken from the river with oil on them and cleaned, but the main official concern centred on the possibility of a significant fish kill at a time when efforts are being made to re-stock the river.

A spokeswoman for the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said most of their staff are caught up in an operation to shift as many birds as possible.