Explosion at food factory injures 28

Twenty-eight people have been injured in an explosion at a food factory. The blast happened during routine maintenance of a freezer at the Brakes depot in Tamworth, Staffordshire, just before midday yesterday.

The engineer carrying out the maintenance suffered 15 per cent burns and was taken to hospital; 21 people were treated at the scene and discharged. The conditions of the remaining six are not known.

A spokesman for Brakes Group said: "During routine maintenance by an engineer from our nominated refrigeration contractor, a chemical leak occurred of a small amount of ammonia."