A leisure centre has apologised after a chlorine gas incident that caused a member of staff to be rushed to hospital.

Highbury Leisure Centre manager Mital Karia said that the incident occurred after “the accidental mixing of pool chemicals”.

According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), 160 people were evacuated from the leisure centre in Highbury Crescent on Sunday (March 12) after chlorine gas was produced.

One woman was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service (LAS). Highbury Leisure Centre confirmed today (March 14) that the woman was a member of staff and that she has now been released from hospital.

Ms Karia said: “We’d like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience on Sunday afternoon when Highbury Leisure Centre was temporarily evacuated as a precaution following a minor incident involving the accidental mixing of pool chemicals.

“We take the safety of staff and customers seriously and have started an investigation into the exact circumstances.

“We’d like to thank staff and authorities for their assistance.

“The centre remains open for customers.”

LFB was called to the incident at 12.06pm and fire crews carried out a sweep of the building and ventilated the property to make the scene safe.

A spokesperson for the brigade said that fire engines from Homerton and Stoke Newington fire stations and two fire rescue units from Bexley and Lewisham fire stations attended the scene.

LAS sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) to the scene.

Public Health England's website says breathing a small amount of chlorine gas may result in a burning sensation of the eyes and throat, while more substantial exposure may cause coughing or breathing difficulties.