Chip fat to be used in road building

Old chip fat could be used instead of bitumen to make road construction 'greener', Aggregate Industries has claimed.

A researcher made the discovery during tests at the aggregates giant's plant in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Aggregate Industries plans to patent the invention before rolling out the new technique.

Helen Bailey, 25, a research manager with the firm, was awarded the Fiona and Nicholas Hawley Excellence in Environmental Engineering Award 2009 by The Worshipful Company of Engineers for the invention.

Some 1.25m tonnes of bitumen  is used every year for road building in the UK.