SHOPS and restaurants across the Eastleigh borough are being advised to withdraw any stocks of Spanish olive-pomace oil.

The move by the borough council's environmental health department - which has written to all food retailers - follows advice from the Food Standards Agency.

The agency is taking urgent action for the withdrawal of Spanish olive-pomace oil from sale throughout the country and is advising consumers and caterers against its use.

It follows information received from the Spanish Government, which has banned the oil from sale on food safety grounds.

Spanish authorities found high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - widespread environmental pollutants that include chemicals that could cause cancer - in the oil.

The levels found were up to 60 times higher than those commonly found as background contamination in UK vegetable oils.