Terrorism

SIR – Recent tragic events in Paris have reminded us all of the seemingly never-ending terrorist threat to innocent lives and national security.

In West Cumbria, Sellafield unfortunately could be a target which would have incomprehensible devastation should these extremists achieve their abhorrent aim. Thankfully Sellafield is installing perimeter and inner security fences comparable with Alcatraz which is an undoubted deterrent.

However, there are upwards of 6,000 private vehicles bypassing the security fences daily. There seems to be a reluctance for Sellafield management to address this.

Are they simply hesitant to upset the mollycoddled nuclear worker who can’t degrade themselves by catching buses or sharing their car journeys? There are vehicles literally abandoned on the Sellafield site daily, parked illegally. Is this the behaviour of nuclear professionals? It is becoming a laughing stock how Sellafield routinely portray nuclear professionals as role models yet the basics of parking aren’t followed.

There are simply too many cars driving through the gates and each vehicle is a potential security risk.

Name and address supplied

  • A spokesman for Sellafield Ltd replies: “The tragic events in Paris and Egypt remind us all of the need to be vigilant about security. At Sellafield, security – alongside safety – is the overriding priority in everything we do. Our arrangements are built around the concept of ‘defence in depth’ and we continuously assess the changing nature of security threats and our amend our approach accordingly.

“This layered defence includes a variety of robust measures, some visible, some not, from perimeter detection systems, vehicle security barriers to stringent access control and traffic management. Our security arrangements are independently reviewed by our regulators and other UK Government departments. However we cannot and will not be complacent about security. Sellafield is the same size as a small town – and as with all communities there are instances of poor parking discipline. Measures are in place to address these behaviours and ensure our emergency response arrangements are not impacted.”