IN a scene eerily reminiscent of Hollywood blockbuster Outbreak, two figures clad in bulbous yellow chemical suits carry the body of a boy up a hill.

But this is not the setting for a multi-million dollar action thriller starring Dustin Hoffman in a battle against a rogue virus.

This is a Frocester hillside on a windy June evening and almost 40 Stroud and Nailsworth firefighters are being put through their paces in a simulated chemical spill training exercise.

Farmer David Holpin, loaned the fire service a field at Hill Farm for the exercise. In the elaborate scenario, a lorry coming down Frocester Hill has spilled two drums containing chemicals into a field where hikers are camping.

The farmer has called the emergency services to say the campers have keeled over in the field.

Within minutes firefighters arrive at the scene in four fire engines and three special units. Leading firefighter Malcolm Osmond, who spent two months organising the exercise, said: "There are no risks taken with chemicals these days, especially with the terrorist situation."

Senior officers make a rapid assessment of the situation while a makeshift decontamination shower unit is assembled.

As we watch, a pair of firefighters wearing breathing apparatus are zipped into their chemical suits and sent down into the field to retrieve the unconscious boy and bring him back up for decontamination.

An unwitting passer-by and his dog are also urgently ushered up for decontamination.

"It's not very often we get to use the suits so we try and set up these exercises so the crew can wear them and we can test our procedures," Mr Osmond said. Two hours later the exercise is successfully completed and the crews gather around for a debriefing.