Chippinghurst closed off after chemical suicide attempt An ambulance hazardous area response team was also sent to the tiny Oxfordshire hamlet and the man was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. People living at properties in the hamlet, which is thought to have just half a dozen houses, last night refused to go into detail about what had happened. Residents at The Dower House and Chippinghurst Manor refused to comment on the "highly sensitive" incident adding only that it had been "very traumatic" having the police in the hamlet. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "We were called to Chippinghurst, Oxfordshire, at 7.18am after reports that a man had tried to commit suicide using chemicals. Officers along with the fire service are investigating and were present to protect life and property. It was understood that the 23 year-old, who lives with his father, had inhaled hydrogen sulphide, which is considered by scientists to be as toxic as hydrogen cyanide. It is believed to shut down the respiratory system and can lead to death. It has previously been used in suicides and was responsible for a string of deaths in Japan when hydrogen sulphide gas was made by mixing common detergent and bath salts.