A company contracted by the NHS to dispose of waste has been stripped of its contract after stockpiling hundreds of tonnes of human body parts, a leaked document has revealed.

NHS England memos obtained by the Health Service Journal show that Healthcare Environment Services Ltd - attached to up to 50 NHS trusts - has allowed amputated limbs, infectious liquids, refuse linked to cancer treatment and other hazardous materials to build up at its five waste handling sites.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Stephen Barclay announced the health service had severed ties with the company.

In a statement to Parliament, Mr Barclay said NHS Improvement concluded that HES "failed to demonstrate that they were operating within their contractual limits.

"Consequently, 15 NHS Trusts served termination notices to HES formally to terminate their contracts at 4pm on Sunday," he said.

New arrangements have been made with Mitie to "step in and replace this service" and "NHS services continue to operate as normal", Mr Barclay told MPs.

The original discovery sparked health and social care secretary Matt Hancock to chair a COBRA meeting last month, during which he ordered £1million to be set aside to help solve the problem, according to the journal.

Last week, the Environment Agency revealed a criminal investigation has now been launched.