One person was taken to hospital and another four were treated by paramedics this evening after an ammonia gas leaked from a fridge at Roys of Wroxham in Hoveton.

One person was taken to hospital and another four were treated by paramedics this evening after an ammonia gas leaked from a fridge at Roys of Wroxham in Hoveton.

The store was evacuated and fire crews were called just after 6pm after staff reported a strong smell of ammonia.

Three fire crews and Norfolk Fire Services' chemical incident unit were called to the scene.

A fire service spokesman said the leak was traced to a fridge in the pharmacy area of the store.

She said that paramedics were called to treat members of staff suffering from the effects of breathing in the toxic gas.

“The store was evacuated and the fridge removed in to the open air,” the spokesman added.

“Four people were treated by ambulance and one person was taken to hospital. I would imagine this was probably as a precautionary measure.”

An East Anglian Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We conveyed one person to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. A few more were treated at the scene and did not require hospital treatment. Advice was left at the scene with store managers to be passed on to staff.”

The spokesman said she did not have any further details about those who were treated.

A Norfolk Police spokesman said it was not thought anyone had suffered any serious health problems.

“One person was taken to hospital because of the effect of breathing in ammonia,” he said.

“These people were just being checked over. There is nothing to suggest there are any significant concerns regarding their health.”