Potassium cyanide sparks Edinburgh chemical scare

A JAR of potassium cyanide found in an old workshop led to the closure of an area of Edinburgh’s west end on Tuesday.

Emergency services attend the scene on Palmerston Place. Picture: Scott Louden

Several appliances were in attendance at on Palmerston Place and the street was closed off by police officers.

Emergency services raced to the scene shortly after 12.30pm.

It is understood that the alarm was raised by a woman who found the jar in a basement workshop.

The chemical is highly dangerous and toxic and it is thought that the material had been there for around fifty years.

A fire service spokeswoman confirmed that there was no danger to the public and that a specialist Detection Identification and Monitoring team was on scene to remove the jar.