By Alan Irving

Published at 11:09, Thursday, 17 November 2011

SELLAFIELD is boosting local employment by taking on an extra “police” force that will create scores of new jobs for local people.

Mitie Security Services has been awarded a Sellafield Ltd contract to help Civil Nuclear Constabulary keep the nuclear site safe and secure.

Mitie will recruit locally from this week and give specialist training.

“It means local jobs for local people, and that has to be good news for Copeland,” said West Cumbria Stakeholders Group chairman David Moore.

“I understand the numbers are significant. It shows again that nuclear is a good source of jobs.”

“Excellent,” said Copeland Council leader Elaine Woodburn. “We’ve been through a difficult time lately, especially with the Mox plant closure, so to hear there’s going to be some new local jobs especially with Christmas coming on is very heartening.”

Some open days are planned to help with recruitment.

The ‘commercial guard force’ will be responsible on checks and searches, including workers’ passes and vehicles. But personnel will not be armed, unlike the Civil Nuclear Constabulary force who will concentrate on top priority anti-terrorism duties.

These include securing the plutonium stocks. The CNC armed officers are licensed to fire weapons in defence of the site.

The prospect of a commercial guard force being brought in was revealed by The Whitehaven News in August and this week Sellafield’s stakeholders director Iain Irving said: “I can confirm we have awarded a contract to Mitie Security Services. What it means is a significant number of new jobs in the local area.”

Mitie Security brings a wealth of experience in the field and the range of duties will include searching and controlling access in and out of the site.

“The addition of a commercial guard force further strengthens and complements existing security arrangements thereby allowing the CNC to do what it does best.

“We are definitely not saying anything is unsafe or that it is the result of any incident or heightening of security.

“It reflects our desire to continually look to enhance and improve site security, both physically and in terms of manpower. We want to ensure they are robust and effective both now and into the future.”

Union organiser Peter Kane said: “We were looking for Sellafield Ltd to employ the guard force directly but because of the cost of the training involved it wasn’t going to be viable. However, Costain say they are going to employ local people, it is something we obviously welcome.”

Mr Moore added: “While it’s great news about the jobs it frees up the CNC for the specialist work of anti-terrorism where it is best focused.”

Nuclear regulatory authorities have approved the guard force which will be fully operational early next year.

For security reasons, Sellafield Ltd can’t disclose exactly how many new jobs are being recruited but Mr Irving said it would be scores.

And with Cumbria Constabulary confirming to The Whitehaven News that it has around 90 mobile officers covering Copeland, the borough has more nuclear police than civil constables.

CNC recently boosted its own numbers by around 80 and its officers and specially-trained German shepherds will also continue to patrol the site.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk