LOCAL authorities last night vowed to fight Government contingency plans to re-open foot-and-mouth burial sites this autumn.

The proposals, revealed by The Northern Echo this week, have now been passed on to Durham County Council, Wear Valley District Council and Derwentside District Council.

The three authorities are each to write to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) demanding to know what the future holds for the area's mass foot-and-mouth burial site at Inkerman, Tow Law.

Wear Valley District Council says it is taking the report, which was handed over to officials this week, very seriously.

A council spokesman said: "This council is of the view that the site was set up for a specific purpose, to deal with the immediate crisis of foot and mouth in the Durham and Northumberland area. We would oppose any further use of the site."

A spokesperson for Durham County Council said that he had yet to see the document which says burial sites would have to be re-opened should it be necessary to slaughter up to 4.5 million lambs and ewes in the autumn.

He said: "There have been no burials at Tow Law for three weeks. We agreed for that site to be used purely as a regional centre. As far as we are concerned, that site should now close."

Derwentside District Council received a copy of the document at a community liaison meeting on Wednesday.

A spokesperson said: "A letter from the council has been sent to Defra, expressing our concerns about the proposals for the future of the site and requesting clarification."

Meanwhile, councillors in Tow Law are furious by the secrecy surrounding the report.

Councillor Ron Grogan said: "Defra still don't give us the answers to our questions. We should be consulted."

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.