Plans to celebrate the railway heritage of a Teesside town are underway.

However arts and heritage experts at Stockton Borough Council have declined to outline exactly what they are.

The authority revealed that significant plans are underway after once again being criticised by one of north Teesside's best known local historians.

Bob Harbron, of the Norton Heritage group, recently visited Shildon, County Durham, where a £10m museum commemorating the world's first passenger railway from Darlington to Stockton, opened in 1825, is being created.

Mr Harbron said: "It's great what's happening in Shildon, but what about Stockton. After all Stockton was the port that the trains were primarily built for and it is called the Stockton to Darlington railway. The world changed forever because of what happened in Stockton and yet there's nothing about it here. The council have been saying for years they're going to do this and that, but nothing ever comes of it."

Last September The Northern Echo revealed that works of art were being planned to decorate the new South Stockton link road, part of which follows the original Stockton to Darlington trackbed. A railway heritage project officer was also to be appointed. However Stockton Council has declined to elaborate on those plans.

A council spokesman said: "Matters are progressing but can't reveal more at this stage." The Northern Echo has called for the world's oldest passenger railway line to be relaid.