BRITISH Pipeline Agency has changed its original not guilty pleas over the explosion at the Buncefield Oil Storage Depot to guilty following a hearing on Wednesday. The company is now admitting that between November 18, 2001 and December 12, 2005, it fail

BRITISH Pipeline Agency has changed its original not guilty pleas over the explosion at the Buncefield Oil Storage Depot to guilty following a hearing on Wednesday.

The company is now admitting that between November 18, 2001 and December 12, 2005, it failed to take all the measures necessary to prevent major accidents and that between December 10, 2005, and December 31, 2005, that it caused polluting matter - fuel and firewater chemicals - to enter the chalk aquifer under Buncefield.

The change of plea was made at an administrative hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice.

Also facing charges in relation to the explosions in Hemel Hempstead on December 11 are Total UK, Herts Oil Storage Ltd., TAV Engineering and Motherwell Control Systems.