UK authorities should ensure the Thorp plant at Sellafield remains permanently closed down, it was claimed today as the nuclear operators were fined €743,000 following a radioactive leak.

The Minister for the Environment Dick Roche tonight claimed a new enforcement action issued against British Nuclear Group Sellafield Ltd was further evidence of fundamental safety failures at the Cumbria plant.

The firm that runs Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant faces an unlimited fine after pleading guilty in court to safety breaches over a radioactive leak today.