Ten people were taken to hospital after a chemical reaction in a swimming pool

produced potentially lethal chlorine gas.

The alarm was raised yesterday by an attendant at the swimming pool at the Brighton University site in Gaudick Road, Eastbourne.

The danger was spotted when two chemicals reacted with each other during a routine daily procedure to sterilise the water.

When fire crews arrived on the scene, the canister containing 50 litres of chemicals had been covered up and carried outside by anxious staff.

The ten people involved were taken to the District General Hospital for checks but were later discharged.

No one was in the pool at the time of the incident.

Police sealed off the road and evacuated students from the building as well as people living close by as chemical specialists in protective suits made sure the canister was safe.

The university has opened an investigation into the accident at the pool, which is not open to the public.

A university spokesman said: "We are looking into what went wrong. The canister was immediately covered and taken outside. None of the chemicals came into contact with the pool.

"We worked with the fire brigade and the members of staff were taken to hospital as a precaution.

"I suspect the problem was a wrong combination of the chemicals used, but we need to identify how this happened."

A spokesman from the hospital said: "If spilled on to the skin the chemical could have caused serious burns."

"Luckily, the people involved in this incident had not come into direct contact with the substance and were all discharged after being checked over."