Residents living close to the Harwell science campus, near Didcot, are set to find out if the site had been shortlisted for long term nuclear waste storage.

The Government is currently investigating long term storage options for the country's nuclear waste after planning permission for storage at Sellafield was refused in 1997.

Nirex, the Government agency that produced the shortlist, has stressed it is out of date and is not part of the current consultation.

Nirex also refused to confirm speculation that Harwell was one of the sites shortlisted.

The agency said the list of 12 sites, identified as possible locations for a long term nuclear waste repository, was drawn up in the late 1980s but kept secret until now.

But it confirmed the new list will be released "within weeks".

Nirex spokesman Ben Russell said: "This list was produced over the late 1980s.

"From that shortlist we went to two sites, Dounreay and Sellafield."

Mr Russell said Nirex felt publishing the list now would be useful and was part of making the current process more transparent.