Investigators were today probing a chemical leak which led to three workers at a North Yorkshire factory being taken to hospital.

Firefighters said they attended the McKechnie Vehicle Components plant in Westgate Carr Road, Pickering, after the workers inhaled a biocide chemical.

Nigel Metcalfe, spokesman for the Tees, North and East Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: "The three workers were affected by something leaking from a tank or a lorry."

He said: "The condition of one of them was certainly more serious than the other two. Symptoms included a tight chest, headache and nausea.

"They were treated at the scene by a Kirkbymoorside ambulance crew, who gave oxygen and then took the three patients to Scarborough Hospital."

Martin Bartolf, managing director of McKechnie's Pickering plant, was not available for comment as he was in a meeting yesterday afternoon and was away from the factory today.

A member of staff there said today: "Let me make this clear, there's absolutely no comment at all from this office. You will have to speak to Ross McDonald."

Mr McDonald, public relations spokesman at McKechnie's headquarters in the Midlands, was not available for comment today.

The victims, who were not named, were believed to be a 27-year-old woman and two men, whose ages are not known.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.