PLANS to restore a mass foot-and-mouth burial site took a step forward as residents met with Government officials yesterday.

People living next to the Inkerman burial site at Tow Law, County Durham, are still waiting for an official closing date.

But yesterday, members of Tow Law Town Council and the residents' liaison committee met with the Department of Environment for Food and Rural Affairs, at the site, to discuss its future.

Afterwards, Councillor Jenny Flynn said people were feeling much more positive about the restoration, but were still pressing for a closing date.

She said: "We have come back feeling a bit more positive. We have been asked for our opinion about what we want for the site.

"We want to work together to put this behind us and get something positive at the end of it.