Environmental officials in Taiwan have called on the company which shippedthousands of tonnes of highly toxic industrial waste in Cambodia, to retrieve the hazardous material.

News that the waste dumped near the southern port of Sihanoukville was dangerous prompted riots and led to thousands of residents fleeing their homes.

A senior official at Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration Fu Shu-chiangsaid tests carried out at the site showed that the mercury content in the waste exceeded Taiwanese safety standards.

The Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, has demanded the waste be returned to Taiwan and that the company involved, pay compensation.