Concerns about the terrorist threat to trains carrying nuclear fuel through north London have been voiced by the Greater London Assembly this week.
Nuclear waste trains travel from power stations in Suffolk, Essex and Kent to Sellafield via north and south London, and are marshalled in Willesden, north-west London.
Safety procedures in the event of vandalism, derailments and terrorist attacks now need to be improved, according to a report from the London Assembly Nuclear Waste Trains Investigative Committee, published on Monday.
The report wants a London-based emergency exercise to be conducted with all emergency services in London, trackside security improved and an examination of the possibility of using alternative routes that bypass London and other major population areas.
Committee chairman Darren Johnson said: "We needed to be clear about how prepared London is for an emergency and what potential risks there are for Londoners."
GLA Labour leader Toby Harris said: "Whilst there is no reason for public anxiety, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US, extra measures do need to be taken to reduce any risks associated with transporting nuclear waste to ensure Londoners are not put in any danger."
October 17, 2001 11:18
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