Staff fainted and patients were taken ill in a suspected chemical leak at a Black Country hospital.

The accident and emergency reception at Sandwell Hospital was shut for two hours yesterday after seven people showed symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Three members of staff fainted at the All Saints Way hospital and chiefs closed A&E reception and drafted in emergency services including specialist firefighters and police to try and find the cause of the sickness.

However, no evidence was found and the reception area reopened shortly before 2pm yesterday.

Margaret Mendez, aged 62, from Canterbury Road, Stone Cross, had turned up at the hospital with a bad ankle.

She said: “They said to me that I should go to my GP as because of the incident they are not able to see everyone.”

One man, who did not want to be named, said: “I just heard it’s a bomb scare and I’m not going to stick around long enough to find out.”

Sue Sarkey, 50 from Broomfield Road, Great Barr: “The nurses said it was a gas leak, but I couldn’t smell anything.”