Residents say they're appalled they were not consulted over a decision to dump radioactive waste in a landfill site near their homes.

Lewes District councillor Andrew Small, chairman of Glynde and Beddingham Parish Council, said neither the council nor homeowners had been asked about the move, despite Government assurances residents would be part of a consultation process.

He said: "I am appalled if material like that is being put in there.

"We should have been consulted and we have not."

Norman Baker, MP for Lewes and Polegate, revealed the news yesterday and accused Environment Minister Michael Meacher of going back on his word.

He said: "I am instinctively unhappy that in the 21st Century we are still using landfill sites to dispose of radioactive waste.

"I am also unhappy that, contrary to assurances from Michael Meacher, there has been no consultation at any level between Government officials and local people on the issue.

"The Environment Agency is doing a good job checking these levels of radioactivity at the site and I accept that the quantities disposed of are unlikely to cause a problem.

"However, I would prefer to see all low-level radioactive material buried at just one site, preferably at Drigg in Cumbria, which is well established to handle such material."

Beddingham landfill site is one of nine in the country to be used to dump low-level radioactive waste.

Levels are monitored regularly by the Environment Agency, which grants site licences for the material to be dumped.

Beddingham, operated by Viridor Waste Management Ltd, is due to be closed in 2006.

Waste from Lewes, north Wealden and some parts of Eastbourne are delivered to the site.

Peter Midgley, Environment Agency Sussex area manager, said the site had been authorised to receive low levels of radioactive waste in 1990.

All the waste in question comes from discarded research material from the University of Sussex.

Mr Midgley said: "The amount of radioactivity in one illuminated sign is 1,000 times greater than the material authorised for the site.

"It's so low-level we can transfer it in the back of an ordinary lorry.

"It's handled in the same way as asbestos sheets. It's put in a pre-excavated pit."