MILITARY chiefs were facing demands to “come clean” last night amid allegations they covered-up a radioactive leak at the Dounreay plant.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond admitted there had been a “breach” at a nuclear submarine test site in the Highlands – but insisted there had been no safety threat.
After his revelation in the Commons the coalition government at Westminster was facing questions over why it took two years to tell parliament and the public about the incident.
Scottish Government ministers were left furious after only being informed about the leak yesterday morning, shortly before Mr Hammond told MPs.
The leak happened at the Vulcan establishment, which is beside the Dounreay facility in Caithness and carries out tests on a reactor the same as the model used to power the UK’s nuclear submarines.
The fleet incudes HMS Vanguard, which will now be refuelled with a new nuclear core at a cost of £120million.
SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson said last night: “This smells of a cover-up.”
