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| Sellafield partly closed after 'above normal' radiation | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria is partially closed after "elevated levels of radioactivity" were detected. | |
| A spokesman said: "The decision has been taken to operate the site at reduced manning levels, commensurate with safe operations." | A spokesman said: "The decision has been taken to operate the site at reduced manning levels, commensurate with safe operations." |
| A perimeter alarm reading is "above the normal rating but below anything to cause us to take any action", he added. | |
| The company stressed there was no risk to the public or workforce. | The company stressed there was no risk to the public or workforce. |
| Director of stakeholder relations Rory O'Neill 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." | |
| Roads busy | |
| Part of the plant is being cleared to allow detailed investigations and the "relevant experts" are on site, the spokesman said. | |
| The company said it could not rule out that the alarm had detected naturally occurring levels of radiation. | |
| Day personnel, agency staff and contractors have been told to stay at home. | Day personnel, agency staff and contractors have been told to stay at home. |
| Other workers, including transport and utilities personnel, are working as normal "in support of plant continuity requirements". | Other workers, including transport and utilities personnel, are working as normal "in support of plant continuity requirements". |
| Mr O'Neill said the company did not want "thousands of people coming to the site just to turn them around and cause chaos in the west Cumbria region". | |
| Roads around the site have been reported to be busy, with staff arriving at work and being sent away. |