Concorde tanks 'ruptured six times'

Air accident investigators in France have revealed that fuel tanks on Concorde airliners had been ruptured by bursting tyres on six separate occasions before last July's crash outside Paris.

The French AFP news agency says the findings have been given by the French Accident Investigation Bureau.

All 109 passengers and crew died when the Air France Concorde crashed in flames on take-off from Charles de Gaulle Airport, also killing four people on the ground.

Investigators had already concluded that the tragedy happened when a tyre was burst by debris on the runway, sending more debris flying into a fuel tank, which ruptured and caught fire.

The French investigation bureau now says the same type of incident had happened on six previous occasions, on Concordes flown by both Air France and British Airways.

All Concordes have been grounded while modification work is carried out on the fuel tanks.