Residents of a Shropshire village are being warned they could be living on contaminated land after traces of an industrial solvent were found in a water borehole.The Environment Agency is due to begin investigations around the former RAF site at Warrant Road, Tern Hill, later this month, after a substance known as Trichloroethylene (TCE) was found nearby during a routine water sampling.

The substance, which is used to degrease metals, was found in a water borehole about 1.5 kilometres south-west of the former barracks.

It is hoped the investigations will determine whether the RAF activities at the site have affected the quality of the groundwater, and the implications of any possible contamination.

The Environment Agency also hopes investigations will reveal the scale of any possible contamination.

Investigations are due to start on October 13 and last four weeks.

Residents who use mains water supplies are reassured they will not be affected, but those who use private wells or boreholes have been warned they could be at risk.

Lyn Fraley, Environment Agency spokeswoman, said: “The first traces were picked up in 2004. Since then we’ve stepped up our monitoring to see if we did have a potential problem here, and how extensive it is.

“Pollution moves very slowly in ground water and it takes a long time to monitor, so we’ve now got to the point where we’ve decided to investigate more.”

Councillor Keith Newby, of North Shropshire District Council, said: “There is no cause for concern to residents using mains supply water.”

He added: “There is, however, a minimal risk to those who receive their drinking water from a private well or borehole, but if you have any concerns, I would urge you to contact the Environmental Heath team.”

The team can be contacted on (01939) 238460, or the Contaminated Land Team at the Environment Agency can be contacted on (01785) 782520.

By Abigail Bates