OFFICIALS say it may be several weeks before the cause of a major fire at a North-East waste depot is determined.

Work is continuing to deal with the aftermath of the fire at Albert Hill Skip Hire, in Darlington.

Dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze, which ignited on Saturday (May 25) evening.

Although the incident is now under control, fire crews are maintaining a presence on site.

The fire continues to burn below the surface and is likely to do so for a further number of days.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service has reviewed the options available for bringing this incident to a close and is going to allow the fire to burn with close monitoring.

Members of the public are being urged not to enter the site under any circumstances and parents are being asked to make sure children stay away from the area.

Public Health England has advised that as the fire is now under control and the smoke has subsided they do not expect residents to experience any significant health effects.

However, anyone who does have health concerns should contact their GP in the usual way or call 111 out of hours.

Darlington Borough Council said discussions are ongoing with the landowner to ascertain what they can do to help, including clearing the site and improving security to prevent youths gaining access to this hazardous area.

Albert Hill Skip Hire, which runs the site, is under investigation by several agencies.

The waste permit for the site was revoked in February last year and the site has not been actively used since October.

The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted Albert Hill Skip Hire for a number of offences in August and a further court case is scheduled for September.