Beachy Head
Beachy Head was the scene of the chemical cloud that left people with stinging eyes Reuters

An unknown haze coming in from the sea has led to the evacuation of a beach on the southern coast of England.

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The first reports of the haze at Birling Gap in East Sussex came through at 5pm Sunday (27 August) and emergency services have been treating people at the beach as well as the surrounding area, with roads closed off and the public being advised to avoid the area.

People living near the coast have been told to keep doors and windows closed with the source of the haze still being investigated.

Eastbourne District General Hospital says it has treated 133 people although Sussex Police says the cause of the "chemical haze" is still unknown.

The National Trust said it was aware of the incident and was working with the emergency services.

In a statement, Sussex police said: "Emergency services are treating people at Birling Gap and clearing the area. People living along the coast in the area have been advised to keep doors and windows shut and to move away from the Birling Gap area in particular."

One witness described how the haze was "coming in".

Mark Battershill told Sky News: "Eyes are streaming, I'm at home now with my family, we're all sitting here and the tears keep running, stinging eyes, sore throats."

The main area affected stretches several miles from Birling Gap to the famous cliffs at Beachy Head, and to the Sovereign Harbour on the eastern fringes of Eastbourne. Many businesses in Eastbourne have also closed.

Coastguard rescue teams from Birling Gap, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Newhaven helped clear the beaches as visitors feared they had been struck by a chlorine leak, the BBC reported.