VILLAGERS campaigning for the closure of a mass foot-and-mouth burial pit have united with protest groups across the nation.

The campaign to close the mass grave of animal carcasses in Tow Law, County Durham, has been gathering pace ever since villagers began complaining of headaches and sore throats.

The Ministry of Agriculture (Maff) has already begun to fill in the main burial pit to reduce the smell, and says it is very unlikely the site will reach its capacity of 200,000 animals.

But villagers are promising to continue their protests until the site is closed.

Tow Law resident Emma Nicol said: "We're now in contact with other groups in Wales, Northumberland, Devon. Everyone is linking up. If we just take a stand as a little village, then we're very isolated.

"It's been really, really helpful linking up with other groups, loads of other people have complained of the same symptoms we have been experiencing: sore throats and headaches.

"One doctor in Devon is really concerned about the amount of illness that has shown up since animals have been buried."

Protestors have also demanded tests on a stream running near the site after it turned to a muddy brown colour. They want to be sure toxins are not being carried from the burial pit, which contains about 14,000 carcasses.

The Environment Agency has been taking daily samples from the stream, known locally as the Gladder, and its tributaries, and say they have not found any abnormalities, although it could take a week to receive the latest results.

The agency is also satisfied with the safety, location and design of the pit after locals raised concerns about mine workings below, which date from the 1830s.

Six women are due to appear before magistrates on Tuesday charged with aggravated trespass following a protest at the weekend.