FIREFIGHTERS prevented up to 2,000 litres of fuel from leaking into a nature reserve.

Crews from Redbridge and the environmental protection team from Romsey were called to Nursling Industrial Estate after 7pm on Tuesday.

A tanker parked near the NHS Health Records Centre, off Mauretania Road, had been damaged and had lost between 1,500 and 2,000 litres of diesel.

Firefighters prevented most of the fuel from running into the nearby Lower Test Marshes, but there were fears some had seeped into the reserve. However, on Wednesday Environment Agency officers could find no evidence of pollution in the marshes.

A spokesman said: β€œAt this time we are satisfied that, as reported by the fire and rescue service, the quantity of oil which leaked from the tank, estimated to be 1,500-2,000 litres, was contained within the site drainage system.”

The EA says it is continuing to investigate.

The spill is believed to have been caused by a collision with another vehicle.