WATER chiefs have assured Worcestershire customers there is no threat to their supply after fears that BSE-contaminated chemicals may have leaked into the river Severn.

Environment Agency officials revealed that seven drums of Ministry of Agriculture organic waste have gone missing since a blaze at a chemical factory near Gloucester.

They were not aware the infected chemicals had been stored at Cleansing Services Group's (CSG) site in Sandhurst.

"We do not take water below Gloucester, so this is not an issue for us," said Severn Trent Water spokesman Steve Hodgson. "We take our water north of Worcester."

Concerns were raised when EA officials found seven more 25-litre drums of BSE-contaminated chemicals while assessing the impact of the explosion at the end of last month.

They said the potential risk from the missing chemicals was "infinitesimal."

But dangers from the leak included a drum leaking potentially cancer-causing chemicals like hydrogen sulphide, arsenic and cadmium.

And most of the 50 people evacuated from their homes on the night of the blaze were said to have suffered burning faces, throats and stomach pains linked to a cloud of phosphorous chemical spilled during the clean-up.

Agency spokesman Roger Wade said there were also fears about the missing MAFF drums.

He said a consignment of seven drums authorised by the agency four years ago was found in a locked compound on site - although CSG is believed to have no licence to process the waste.

"The BSE washings were not involved in the fire as far as we know," he said. "We have no evidence of them being broken and as far as we are aware, there is not an abnormal risk from them.

"The possibility of anyone getting anything from the water is infinitesimal.

"The big issue is the one of the remaining drum which is not totally secure."