A WASTE management company says it is very hopeful problems with its recycling facility are over, following an upgrade costing tens of thousands of pounds.

Last month, Premier Waste Management was hit with a £240,000 tax bill, after a Government watchdog ordered it to bury 10,000 tonnes of contaminated compost.

The Environment Agency ruled the company's compost- like output (CLO) contained too much plastic and glasstobespreadoverTodhills landfill site, near Willington.

Premier's problems stemmed partly from what the company said was a fault with a temperature monitoring system at its Parc facility, in Thornley.

For CLO to be eligible to be spread on landfill sites, it must have been exposed to temperatures of at least 70C for at least one hour.

Premier was unable to accurately measure temperatures - so could not guarantee the conditions were met - and closed the facility.

On Wednesday, Ashley Cooper, Premier's disposal division director, revealed a new digital temperature measuring system has been installed and the system is being brought back online.

The first batch of treated waste was discharged from the system last Friday. However, Mr Cooper said it could be six months before the Environment Agency and Defra recognise the operation and the system is fully re-commissioned.

Premier has also refurbished a shredder so rubbish is cut to a smaller size and two towers have been fitted with insulation to improve heat retention.