ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have named the UK's worst factories for pollution - and say two of the top ten are in the North-East.

Friends of the Earth has released figures for the plants which release the most cancer-causing substances, and names two of Teesside's major employers on its list.

But the chemical companies say the figures are misleading.

The study also shows that while the volume of chemicals being released by the UK's biggest factories has fallen by about 40 per cent in the past three years, the reduction on Teesside is only 18 per cent.

The area's top offender is ethylene dichloride producer Ineos Chlor, whose plant at Wilton emitted 408 tonnes of carcinogens in 2000, putting it at number five nationally.

The company refused to comment yesterday.

Chemical plant BASF, at Seal Sands, was at number eight in the league, with an emission rate of 201 tonnes for 2000 - a 22 per cent increase from 1998.

A BASF spokesman said the figures were out of date.

"Our figures for 2001 show that our emissions are down by 21.4 per cent. Why don't Friends of the Earth publicise that?"

Chemical company Huntsman's Seal Sands site is ranked 11th and its Wilton site 14th.

A spokesman said: "We are now able to report much more accurate figures and, while these indicate higher amounts because of the improved measurement methods, actual emissions levels have not increased."

Mike Childs, senior pollution campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said Teesside's figures were disappointing.

"If factories can make bigger cuts in pollution elsewhere, why not in Teesside? We will be discussing these findings with the Environment Agency," he said.

But factories in the area say they are committed to reducing emissions.

Fine Organics, at Seal Sands, has dropped out of the top ten to number 13 and has, from 1998 to 2000, cut emissions by more than half.

"We have an active programme in place to try to reduce emissions and are working closely with the Environment Agency," said a spokesman.