Coun Paul Waggott has moved to quash rumours that an incinerator is being planned as part of the South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland Waste Partnership.

And green campaigners have warned that such a plan would increase the risk of toxic ash polluting the atmosphere.

Coun Waggott told the Gazette: "While I accept that the waste partnership has had to use illustrative models to develop a business case to secure Government funding, I must make my personal position clear.

"I am not in favour of an incinerator, even if it ends up being the technology that seems to offer the best value for money on paper."

Pressures are increasing on all three councils to find efficient and cost-effective ways of dealing with waste management, at a time of rocketing landfill costs.

Coun Waggott added: "I am absolutely clear that any decision on the location and technology used for waste disposal will be a political decision.

"The time for that decision will be when we have agreement in principle to funding and have seen what potential solutions partners could offer."

Coun Waggott's pledge has been welcomed by Bryan Atkinson, South Tyneside spokesman for Friends of the Earth (FoE).

He said: "I'm delighted Paul Waggott is opposed to a waste incinerator in South Tyneside and I hope he extends that opposition to other areas as well.

"FoE is absolutely opposed to incineration, which doesn't do away with the need for landfill and only creates a highly toxic ash from fairly innocuous waste.

"We believe that all the potential sites being looked at for a waste incinerator are council-owned.

"What South Tyneside Council should be aiming for is zero waste, by changing public attitudes towards waste.

"For example, a third of all food is thrown out, which is clearly unacceptable."

Coun Waggott added that more emphasis should be placed on "creative alternative solutions" to waste management, such as South Tyneside's highly successful recycling village.

He said: "We must all do more to tackle this growing problem, but incineration is not the solution."

A decade ago, Coun Waggott fought proposals for a clinical waste facility in neighbouring Follingsby, Gateshead.

"I will run another campaign if there is any proposal to build an incinerator as part of our joint solution to find a cost-effective, sustainable solution to waste disposal in our area," Coun Waggott added.