The cost of making safe 12 live cluster bombs dropped by the RAF in the Solway Firth will reach �250,000, according to the Scottish National Party.

The Ministry of Defence is to the bombs in concrete rather than remove them from the seabed in Luce Bay, Wigtownshire.

The bombs, which contain a total of 1,800 bomblets, were dropped during an RAF training exercise for the war in Kosovo.

Residents around Luce Bay are angry that their calls for the devices to be lifted have been ignored.

Leaked documents

Alasdair Morgan, the SNP's MP and MSP for Galloway & Upper Nithsdale, says he has received leaked documents which show the cost of the work will be a quarter of a million pounds.

"I remain amazed at the audacity of the MOD testing live cluster bombs just off the Wigtownshire coast without thinking about how they would remove them," he said.

"I dare say that �250,000 is just small change as far as the Ministry of Defence is concerned. But it is ironic that there are local projects that could give the economy a vital lift which are crying out for cash that they don't get.

"Given the costs already incurred with divers, underwater surveillance and the like it wouldn't surprise me if the bill is likely to be double that which has been quoted.

"Local scallop fishermen have been turned away from fishing in that area, losing vital local scallop fishing grounds, and I have asked the Ministry that compensation be forthcoming for income lost."

Commons questions

Mr Morgan has tabled questions in the Commons to try to prevent a repeat of the situation.

Regular meetings involving the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (Dera) at West Freugh Air Base near Stranraer, councillors and officials are to take place to monitor the situation.

Local councillor Grahame Forster said that despite efforts by MPs and MSPs they had been unable to convince the MoD to remove the weapons.

"At the end of the day West Freugh have a licence to drop live bombs into the bay, so we have no legal standing to fall back on," he said.