Incinerators in parts of the West Midlands have breached pollution rules 114 times in the last five years, it has emerged.

Figures obtained by the Express & Star from the Environment Agency show Wolverhampton’s Crown Street incinerator had 65 breaches and Dudley’s Lister Road plant had 49. Across the UK there were 285 breaches. Campaigners today said incineration was damaging to health and say a planned facility in Four Ashes near Wolverhampton should be scrapped.

The worst year for breaches was in 2006 when Wolverhampton had 60 incidents and Dudley had 36. The majority, 86, were for carbon monoxide but other chemicals released include hydrogen chloride, nitrogen dioxide, mercury and dioxins.

But Martin Engineering Systems, which runs both plants, today said it did not accept the figures and was in dispute with the Environment Agency.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Keith Kondaker said the effects of incineration on health would not be clear for many years but he warned: “We should not be building any more. Incineration is adding to mix of pollutants in the air.

“There is a reason why they have large chimneys – to spread the pollution over a wider area so everyone gets a very small dose rather than a group of people living close to the incinerators.”

Lyn Fraley, spokewoman for the Environment Agency, said there were stringent checks on every aspect of how incinerators operate.

She said: “Air quality issues arise from a number of sources, including traffic. Incinerators represent only a minute part of this. Breaches of emission limits represent only a tiny proportion of operating time and usually have little or no environmental impact.

Bernard Joly, plant manager at both the Wolverhampton and Dudley incinerators, said: “We do not agree with these figures. They are completely unfair because we are allowed to exceed the permit at certain times such as when we are starting up or shutting down.”

Wolverhampton’s incinerator is on an industrial estate behind the Peel Centre retail park on Stafford Street.