Eleven protesters, most of them from Ireland, have been arrested after taking part in a blockade at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Britain. Some of them have now been cautioned by police, and will be released without charge.
The blockade started before 6am this morning, at two of the entrances to the plant. Workers arriving at the plant for a change of shift at 7am had to go in by other entrances.
Several protesters also locked themselves together and blocked a roundabout on a main road near the plant, causing a tailback of several miles. Five women and six men were arrested.
The protesters said that about 180 of them were involved, mainly from Ireland. Most had been involved in a protest at the Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland earlier this week.
They said that they came from a number of Third Level colleges, and from the environmental group, Gluaiseacht. They have been involved in two other protests at Sellafield in recent months.
Police in Cumbria said that the traffic disruption prevented local people from getting to work, and that a number of schools were unable to open. They said that rail workers were unable to get to their jobs, causing delays.
Controversy surrounding the plant has increased in recent months, with the announcement that it was to begin producing MOX (Mixed Oxide Fuel). Legal action taken by the Irish Government failed to reverse the decision to open the MOX plant.
Environmental groups have continually stated that MOX production at Sellafield is environmentally damaging and financially risky.
