POLLUTION levels in local rivers are continuing to be monitored following a large paint spillage on the M606 at the weekend.

Details have now been released as to how the incident, which caused major disruption, occurred.

Police have confirmed that it was a collision between a car and a lorry carrying around 10,000 litres of paint at about 11pm on Friday that caused the heavy goods vehicle to shed its load.

Up to 4,000 litres of white paint were spilled onto the southbound carriageway near the Euroway trading estate, resulting in major disruption to motorists and queuing traffic.

The clear-up operation saw that section of the motorway closed for more than 24 hours as efforts were made to try to contain the spill.

At the weekend a spokesman for Highways England said vehicles had been moved to the hard shoulder and contractors were using a tanker and high pressure hose to try to remove the paint which they said was “likely to take some time”.

As a result of the incident, part of the motorway needed to be resurfaced overnight on Saturday, before the route was reopened in the early hours of Sunday.

A police spokesman said: “We had a report at 10.56pm on January 13 of a two-vehicle collision.

“They were a blue VW Golf and a Daf lorry.

“Reports were that it was a damage-only incident with no injuries.

“Officers attended the scene and the driver of the lorry was given a fixed penalty notice for having an insecure load.”

The Environment Agency is continuing its investigation after confirming at the weekend that the substance had travelled from local becks to the River Calder.

Efforts were made to try and contain the substance in a roadside drain, and Environment Agency officers were out again yesterday continuing to check local watercourses for any potential environmental impacts or potential risks.

A spokesman said: “The Environment Agency is continuing to investigate the pollution incident. Our officers have been out to carry out assessments of watercourses downstream, and we have taken water samples from some locations for laboratory analysis.

“The becks around the motorway are now running clear. Some of the pollutant is being washed through the system and can be seen in the Calder, although no significant impacts on wildlife have been reported.

“Our officers will be out again to carry out further assessments. Anyone who spots any problems as a result of pollution, such as dead fish, are urged to report the matter to our incident hotline on 0800 807060.”