THE seemingly-endless saga over the burning of controversial Cemfuel by Castle Cement of Clitheroe has already had more twists and turns than a corkscrew, but the latest is amazing.

At the beginning of this month, the firm was banned from using the fuel, based on chemical waste - by the Environment Agency.

This week, it lifted the ban. Or did it?

For the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions wrote to protesters saying the firm has not been authorised by the agency to resume burning Cemfuel - and the letter was dated the day after Castle were indeed authorised to resume using Cemfuel.

Over Cemfuel, uncertainty prevails and that's the whole trouble.

Despite years of concern, no-one has offered satisfactory evidence on whether this fuel is safe or not. Mistrust has been stoked up as a result.

And just how is that situation to be resolved when we find one government environment department saying one thing and the government's environment agency saying another?

It is time this business was sorted for good.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.