PLANS to restart burning Cemfuel this week have been halted after Environment inspectors said more work needed to be done.

Castle Cement installed continuous monitoring equipment costing £160,000 to allow it to return to burning the recycled chemical waste since new European anti-pollution laws were brought in last summer.

But Environment Agency officers who inspected the equipment said more work needed to be done on the monitors before Cemfuel burning could begin again in the wet kilns, kilns five and six.

A plan to burn Cemfuel in kiln seven is out to consultation.

Agency spokesman Tony Clayton said: "Castle Cement has agreed that the work is needed and they will contact us again when it is done.

"They have told us they will not begin burning until at least next week."

Environmental groups have long protested against the burning of Cemfuel, which is a cheaper substitute for coal.

They claim it produces cancer-causing substances although Castle Cement bosses say its emissions are cleaner than those caused by burning coal.