A MAN was injured when a chemical tanker collided with a car on the A31 near Winchester.

It happened yesterday forcing police to seal off the road for seven hours Firefighters in protective suits had to rescue the trapped motorist.

Six members people who stopped to help also had to be hosed-down and decontaminated by Hampshire Fire and a house was evacuated.

Last night one driver, a man in his 50s from Chandler's Ford, was being treated at Southampton General Hospital.

Two of those who stopped to help also received treatment, at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, as a precaution after inhaling some of the spilled chemical. The tanker driver was said to be shocked but uninjured.

Emergency workers initially suspected the chemical was phosphoric acid, a corrosive and toxic substance used in a diverse range of products from agricultural fertiliser to soft drinks.

The environment agency later confirmed the contents were a weak concentration of hypophosphorous acid.

It posed only a small risk to either the public or the environment. Junction ten ten of the M3 was a scene of chaos throughout the day.

The Onyx Waste Management company, was hit from behind by the car causing the tanker to split open and spill its cargo onto the road.

A spokeswoman for The Environment Agency, said: "We helped with the clean-up of the chemical and made sure that the environment is protected.

"Fortunately we think most of the chemical has been recovered. It was also very dilute and this has lessened the risk to the environment.

"We don't believe that there has been any significant damage to the environment but we will continue to monitor this over the coming weeks."