ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners today welcomed a decision by the government allowing Castle Cement to power a kiln with old tyres.

The company, which runs the Ribblesdale Works at Clitheroe, carried out a six-month trial burning of 4,085 tonnes of old tyres last year.

The findings of the trial were presented to the Environment Agency, which yesterday gave permission for the company to begin using tyres as a substitute for fossil fuels.

Castle Cement said today its trial proved that burning tyres at high temperatures at its kilns had no greater impact on the environment than coal-burning kilns.

More than 630,000 tyres were burnt during the trials, and the company next expects to burn millions.

General manager Gareth Price said: "If these tyres weren't burnt in our kilns they would just go straight into landfill sites, which is not good for the environment."

Lynda England, from the Clitheroe branch of Friends of the Earth, said: "We welcome this news. There is little else to do with tyres, and at least this stops them from rotting in the ground as a result."