UK Sellafield nuclear plant closed following radiation leak

The Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria is partially closed due to radiation leak.

17:29 31 January 2014

Following reports that elevated levels of radioactivity was detected in the reprocessing plant in Cumbria, UK’s Sellafield nuclear plant was partially shut down at the end of the week.

Each building was checked after the perimeter alarm was triggered. However, the company assured the public that it was naturally occurring background radiation but added that “there can be no guessing on nuclear sites.”

Rory O'Neill, director of stakeholder relations, said: "One of the 20-odd site perimeter monitors that we have is registering above normal levels of radiation.

"It's not a level that would trigger any kind of activity on or off site. It's below levels that would demand us to do sheltering or anything like that."

Meanwhile, in a statement, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said: "We are in constant contact with Sellafield but we have no reason to believe that it is any more serious than they've said.”

David Moore, chairman of the West Cumbria Cumbria Stakeholders' Group, an independent watchdog funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, said that company made the right decision.

"They've never been scared to raise the levels for safety," he said. "I think they've taken the right decision here."