Work to prevent pollution is to take place at three former Oxfordshire County Council landfill sites, costing £280,000 of Government cash.

The aim is to stop pollutants contaminating water courses and seeping into the ground, and to control methane gas which is produced as waste decomposes.

The work will take place at Oakley Wood near Wallingford, Stanford in the Vale, near Wantage, and Alkerton, near Hook Norton.

The sites have always met the required standards on safety and pollution, but growing concerns for the environment have signalled the need for more stringent precautions.

At Oakley Wood and Stanford, more than £170,000 will be spent on further investigation, in collaboration with district councils and the Environment Agency, to find the best way to contain pollutants.

At Stanford and at Alkerton, a total of £110,000 will be spent on improving systems for removing the gas. Boreholes to remove methane will be linked before it is burned off harmlessly.

Patrick Coulter, head of waste management at the county council, said: "This is excellent news for Oxfordshire. We are continuing the process of improving the local environment and safeguarding it for future generations."