A CLEAN up operation was carried out after hundreds of litres of oil spilled into a Brierley Hill canal.

Around 700 litres of oil were discovered in a stretch of canal close to Station Drive on Sunday (September 19).

Fire crews from Brierley Hill, Woodgate Valley and Stourbridge stations attended the scene along with the fire service's Hazardous Material Environmental Protection Unit, just before midday.

The team worked with colleagues from Dudley Council and the Canal and River Trust to divert a "significant" amount of oil away from the canal and contained the spill to prevent any further contamination.

The locks remain shut to boat traffic while some fire fighters and workers from the Canal and River Trust finish the clean up effort.

A spokesperson from West Midlands Fire Service said: "Our crews discovered around 700 litres of oil in the canal and managed to divert around a significant additional amount away from the canal using sand and environmental packs along with colleagues from Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

"Along with colleagues from the Canal and River Trust, our crews worked quickly and assertively to contain the oil in the canal to a small area, using environmental grab packs, hose inflation kits and a polly boom to prevent further contamination of the canal.

"The oil slick was contained within 30 minutes allowing clean up to commence."