Village sealed off due to chemical incident (From Banbury Cake)

Village sealed off due to chemical incident

7:42pm Sunday 29th January 2012 in News

A VILLAGE was sealed off earlier today after a chemical suicide bid turned a home into a potential death scene.

Firefighters, paramedics, police and an ambulance hazardous area response team (HART) rushed to Chippinghurst, near Garsington, at about 7am.

The entire village was sealed off and residents were told not to leave their homes after a 23-year-old man filled his house with a gas.

He was found gasping for breath by his father who immediately called the police and paramedics.

The incident ended with the suicidal man being taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Fire brigade officials refused to discuss the incident and referred all calls to the police.

An ambulance spokesman would only confirm that two ambulance crews, an ambulance officer, two supervisors and the HART team had been sent to Chippinghurst shortly after 7am.

She added that all inquiries had to be referred to the police.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "We were called to Chippinghurst, Oxfordshire, at 7.18am after reports that a man had tried to commit suicide using chemicals.

"Officers along with the fire service are investigating and were present to protect life and property."