A former experimental nuclear power plant in Caithness is to be demolished next month and a £100m store is to be constructed to hold the low-level radioactive waste.

The site at Dounreay will have six vaults, with the first expected to be opened and utilised in 2014.

Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) said contractor Graham Construction was scheduled to start work on the dump's first vault next month.

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The demolition and clean-up of the plant is set to create 240,000 tonnes of waste including paper, rags, tools, glass, concrete and clothing contaminated by radioactivity.

The waste is to be stored in metal drums which will then be reduced in size by a compactor.

The construction project will be phased in correspondence with the gradual release of £4m worth of funding set up by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for community and employment schemes over the next 10 years.

Plans for the store were approved by the Highland Council in 2009.

An archaeological survey was conducted on the Caithness coast ahead of construction work on the store but archaeologists found no remains, suggesting the site was robbed of its artifacts in the past.

(JG)