Controversial plans for burning more rubbish in Essex have sparked a new 1,000-name petition.

The Essex Green Party petition calls on the Government to dump plans for more incinerators and campaigners handed it in yesterday to the Government Office for the East of England, based in Bedford.

If the waste plan, subject of a lengthy inquiry, is given the go-ahead, work could start on the incinerators at sites including Rayleigh and Pitsea.

Green Party co-ordinator for Essex, James Abbott, said: "The developing waste policy of the Government shows a major shift to incineration, which has very little public support and is a scandalous waste of non-renewable resources.

"It produces toxic ash which still has to be landfilled."

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