CAMPAIGNERS are targeting schools and guide leaders in the latest move in their protest over Cemfuel emissions from Castle Cement.

Letters are being sent to Ribble Valley headteachers and to the Guide Association, which runs events at Waddow Hall, urging them to raise concerns with the authorities.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Friends of the Earth Group chairman David Mortimer, of Clitheroe, has signed it.

He points out that Castle was recently fined after pleading guilty to three pollution charges, and claims that the short-term and long-term health effects of emissions from the plant are unknown.

"A similar letter has been sent to head teachers/governors of affected schools who as persons charged with a duty of care towards pupils have been asked to advise those affected and make any concerns known to the appropriate authorities," Mr Mortimer said.

Ian Sutheran, works general manager at Castle Cement's Ribblesdale site, said: "Castle Cement is operating within its Environment Agency authorisation which ensures approriate emission limits are met and that the use of Cemfuel is restricted to only a 40 per cent replacement for coal.

"The use of Cemfuel improves the works' overall environmental performance while retrieving energy from materials that would otherwise be incinerated with no energy recovery or sent to landfill."

The firm also said it planned to invite headteachers who had been written to ask them to visit the works if they had any concerns.

Last month Castle announced they were to seek a judicial review to try to change the legal status of the fuel, made from recycled chemical waste, after claiming its classification by the Environment Agency had affected its business and the environment.

The decision to class Cemfuel as a hazardous waste meant the firm has had to stop burning it until new monitoring equipment is installed.

New European Community rules which came into force in June force firms which burn such waste to carry out much stricter monitoring of fume emissions.

Castle maintain that Cemfuel is a fuel rather than a hazardous waste and are hoping to put their case to a High Court judge.