The Tynes Bay Incinerator fire came after trash overflowed as maintenance work was carried out, Works and Engineering has revealed.

The garbage pile's height reached 30 feet as the plant operated at a reduced level while incineration streams were being repaired, the Ministry said.

Firefighters who spent five hours tackling the blaze on Monday said it probably self-ignited because the waste overheated in the humidity. They described the pile as being 50-feet high.

Yesterday's Ministry statement said annual major maintenance works had been taking place from March 22 to April 19.

It said the level of refuse in the bunker gradually increased to a level that flowed over into the tipping hall.

The Ministry said efforts had been made to inform the public bulky waste would not be accepted, but said better awareness would now be created with a campaign called What Goes Where, which will illustrate how different waste products have to be handled in different ways.