Nuclear waste convoy reached German storage site

A trainload of nuclear waste reached a disputed storage site in northern Germany under heavy police protection today despite efforts by protesters to disrupt its journey from a French reprocessing plant.

The train, carrying 12 containers of reprocessed waste from a plant at La Hague, arrived at the storage site in Gorleben at about 6am (5am Irish time).

Police had to clear parts of the route of demonstrators, including moving a block of concrete that protesters had chained themselves to near the town of Grippel.

The annual waste transport has become a favourite target of anti-nuclear demonstrators. The Gorleben facility is also disliked by farmers in the area who say they fear having radioactive waste in the area undermines the reputation of their produce.

German authorities deployed 10,000 officers to patrol the route.