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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Syrian chemicals heading for Cheshire after UK arrival | Syrian chemicals heading for Cheshire after UK arrival |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The UK has taken delivery of more than 200 tonnes of toxic chemicals from Syria. | The UK has taken delivery of more than 200 tonnes of toxic chemicals from Syria. |
| The consignment arrived at Southampton and is being checked by experts before being transported by road to Ellesmere Port in Cheshire for incineration. | |
| It will be destroyed by Veolia Environmental Services, a French firm at the port. | It will be destroyed by Veolia Environmental Services, a French firm at the port. |
| Veolia and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said the material had no "chemical weapon agents". | Veolia and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said the material had no "chemical weapon agents". |
| It comprised "precursor chemicals" that "are handled and destroyed by industry on a routine basis", a spokesman said. | It comprised "precursor chemicals" that "are handled and destroyed by industry on a routine basis", a spokesman said. |
| The Syria chemicals | |
| • 50 tonnes of Grade B precursors (components for poison gas including Sarin but only lethal when combined with the right amount of other chemicals) | |
| • 44 tonnes of hydrochloric acid (part of the additional 50 tonnes announced by the government at Prime Minister's Questions last week) also heading for Ellesmere Port | |
| • Six tonnes of hydrogen fluoride, to be disposed of separately in "a chemical bath" | |
| The convoy is expected to be comprised of up to 15 lorries and police are understood to be aware of its route and timings. | The convoy is expected to be comprised of up to 15 lorries and police are understood to be aware of its route and timings. |
| Whitehall officials say the contents are within Department of Transport safety guidelines. | Whitehall officials say the contents are within Department of Transport safety guidelines. |
| Syria agreed to the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpile last year. | Syria agreed to the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpile last year. |
| The deal - backed by the UN and brokered by the US and Russia - was struck amid the threat of US air strikes, triggered by a sarin gas attack on a rebel-held suburb of Damascus. | The deal - backed by the UN and brokered by the US and Russia - was struck amid the threat of US air strikes, triggered by a sarin gas attack on a rebel-held suburb of Damascus. |