Residents in Salford have noticed a ‘big sludgy mess’ of oil appearing in the River Irwell and it has left experts stumped.
One resident told the M.E.N they noticed ‘large amounts of oil’ in the river at around 9am this morning (September 15).
The colourful substance was still spotted in the water this afternoon near to The Crescent and the meadow by Adelphi Street and Adelphi Wharf.
Some residents were concerned the substance could be connected to a major 'gas incident' at University of Salford campus earlier today.
The ‘gas incident’ caused nearby buildings to be evacuated while students were asked to avoid the area.
However, it is not yet known if the two incidents are related.
Officers from the Environmental Agency have been out to investigate the water but are currently unable to ‘trace the source’.
They added that the issue was causing 'no detrimental impact’ to the environment.
A spokesperson for Environmental Agency North West said: “We are aware of this issue and our officers have been out to investigate but unfortunately can’t trace the source at this time.
“However, we can confirm that there isn’t any detrimental impacts to the environment as a result of the incident.”
