A CIRCUIT board company was fined £1,000 yesterday after an "unfortunate accident" caused waste to filter through a public sewer.

Faraday Printed Circuits, of Washington, Wearside, pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to failing to comply with Northumbrian Water regulations.

The court heard how the firm, based at Pattinson Industrial Estate, produces circuit boards and during the process, small amounts of copper pass through waste pipes.

Paul Currer, prosecuting, told the court how the company applied to Northumbrian Water for the consent of the copper waste disposal in 1991.

Mr Currer told Mr Justice Griggson how the company complied with the regulations until January, when more than 200 times the amount of copper was found in waste pipes at the industrial estate.

Regulations state that just three milligrammes of copper were allowed to pass through the pipes but when tests were carried out on January 6, 670mg of the metal was found.

Graham Duff, mitigating on behalf of the company, said the incident happened over the Christmas period last year, when the factory closed down for a two-week period.

He said: "This was an unfortunate accident and does not represent the normal responsible attitude of the company."