Fears that a blue substance found on an allotment site could be toxic have been allayed by environmental health officers.

The environmental health department at South Oxfordshire District Council has carried out investigations after allotment holders in Berinsfield reported a blue substance was being emitted from Matrix Industries, based by the allotments in Tower Road.

Allotment holder Sheila Spencer said: "We were a bit concerned because one of the hedges by a vent from the factory was completely blue. We thought it was better to call in environmental health to find out what the substance was."

According to Mrs Spencer, a filter has now been put over the vent and that has solved the problem.

Jon Payne, the council's assistant head of environmental health, said investigations found that the blue substance was a type of plastic used for coating materials produced by Matrix.

Mr Payne said: "There is no risk to anybody's health from it at all. It is purely a cosmetic problem."

A spokesman for Matrix said the company had nothing to add to comments made by the district council's environmental health department.