REBUILDING a cemetery wall is about to start after eight years of hard campaigning, petitions and public meetings.

The first stone in a £170,000 reconstruction of a 245-metre stretch of wall around Eston Cemetery will be laid today.

The project is expected to take about 20 weeks to complete, weather permitting. While it is carried out, the adjacent footpath will be closed.

Redcar and Cleveland borough councillor Bob Stanway, the council's cabinet member for environmental improvement, said: "We are particularly pleased that this work will see this restored to its former glory, as it is a very handsome wall.

"It was built in the 1800s and it has deteriorated primarily due to natural erosion, combined with salt spray to the lower courses."

The present wall will be taken down in sections. The top three courses will be built with the reclaimed stone and the reclaimed coping stones will be used to top off the wall.

The inner leaf will be rebuilt with reconstituted stone blocks, the bottom three courses of the outer leaf will be rebuilt with sandstone blocks, dressed to match existing stone.