A NUCLEAR pioneer, who was involved in the study of highly radioactive materials, has died aged 90.

Dr Vernon Walter (Wally) Eldred MBE FREng died at Hames Hall, Cockermouth, on December 15, from a chest infection.

A funeral will be held at St Paul’s Church, Irton, on January 8.

Dr Eldred was born on March 14, 1925 in Sutton Coldfield, and went to Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, and St Catharine’s College, Cambridge.

In 1955, he took up an appointment with the UK Atomic Energy Authority, in the research and development branch at Windscale, where he was involved in the study of highly radioactive materials, starting with aluminium-clad uranium metal fuel elements from the air-cooled Windscale piles.

As research manager (metallurgy), he went on to run a large team concerned with the detailed post-irradiation examination (PIE) and assessment of numerous designs of Magnox-clad metal fuel from the pioneering CO2-cooled Calder Hall and Chapelcross, and from power stations in Italy and Japan.

The methods he proposed were adopted by the industry as the ‘Eldred/Harris Criteria’.

Dr Eldred was awarded an MBE in 1970. He was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1984; made a Fellow of the Institution of Metallurgists in 1964 and an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Nuclear Engineers in 1988.

He became head of the fuel examination and fuel performance divisions of the AEA Laboratories at Windscale (and at the same time was deputy head of laboratories). He retired in 1990 as head of the laboratories.

In February 2004, he came briefly out of retirement to present a paper at the Westlakes Science Park, on the history, development and performance of Magnox fuel elements.

Dr Eldred was the beloved husband of the late Pamela Mary (Pam), much loved father to Andrew, Sally and John (former consultant obstetrician at West Cumberland Hospital). He was a grandfather and great-grandfather.

He and his wife Pam (a teacher at Seascale School for many years) remained at Santon Bridge, until her death in 2013.