A public health expert has been invited to respond to claims of a link between Oldbury nuclear power station and the number of cancer cases in areas surrounding the plant.

Dr Julia Verne, director of the South West Public Health Observatory, has been asked to attend a community event to answer questions raised by people living near the site.

She was approached as a result of comments made at a previous site stakeholder meeting held earlier this year.

Shepperdine farmer John Grey said at the time he was worried that cancer cases could be related to the power station.

Oldbury site director, Joe Lamonby, refuted the claim, saying there was no evidence of more cases of the disease in the locality.

He also said studies making such allegations had not come from reputable sources.

But it was agreed to ask Dr Verne to supply information to neighbours of the plant and respond to questions posed.

The meeting tomorrow is also likely to get an update on the possibility of a new nuclear station being built at Oldbury.

The location had already been identified by the Government in February as a likely spot for a new plant and last week was named again as a potential site, along with 10 others around the country.

Energy firm Eon has long expressed interest in developing a reactor at Oldbury.

Each of the sites nominated will now be assessed during the summer and into the autumn, ahead of a draft Nuclear National Policy Statement being produced.