UPDATE: Controlled explosion of hazardous school lab chemical on West Wittering beach

A potentially hazardous chemical discovered in a Chichester school was destroyed on West Wittering beach this morning, police have confirmed.
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Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers carried out a controlled explosion of the A-level chemical in the early hours of today, police said.

The powdered substance stored at Chichester High School was found to have deteriorated, creating a potential hazard, a police spokesperson said.

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A Government advisory note has been issued regarding 2,4-DNPH (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine), which is widely kept for experiments as part of A-level chemistry lessons, but can be dangerous if allowed to dry out.

Chichester High School issued an emergency closure for today, after checks revealed the hazard yesterday.

Police said there was no risk to anyone at the school and it was not necessary to evacuate the school or call upon other emergency services.

West Sussex County Council has stated it is not aware of any other schools affected at this stage.

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