Plutonium ships are targets for terrorism

A terrorist alert over two nuclear waste ships was issued today.

The ships will arrive in the English Channel on Friday on their way to the south of France.

Experts said today if terrorists get on board the vessels, the results would be "absolutely catastrophic".

The ships contain enough weapons-grade plutonium to create 40 nuclear bombs. Yet just one cannon and a handful of police protect its deadly cargo.

"They are really a sitting target for terrorists," said Dr Frank Barnaby, a former nuclear physicist at the UK Atomic Weapons Establishment.

"Any half-decent terrorist group could get on board easily and either start a fire or simply take the plutonium on board.

Making nuclear weapons from it is a relatively straightforward process."

The cargo, which started out from South Carolina in the USA last Monday, is destined for a nuclear reprocessing plant in south France via the port of Cherbourg.

It is believed Greenpeace is planning a campaign to try to stop the ships docking.

The ships used, the Pintail and Pacific Teal, are registered in Britain so the Department of Trade and Industry takes responsibility for their security.

A spokesman claimed all necessary arrangements had been made. He said: "There are armed-response units on board

the two ships, and they are travelling in convoy to protect each other," a spokesman said. "We have taken every precaution required by international laws."

However, John Large, a nuclear consultant who recently gave evidence to the US Department of Energy on the safety of the ships, said: "This is really a terrorist's dream. To manufacture this much plutonium would take decades, and this is very, very high-quality material."

Mr Large carried out several simulations of the effects of an accident on board the ship and found much of the South Coast of Britain would be affected.

He said: "This is fine, talc-like powder, and if the wind is right, it would kill several thousand people and wind could carry it for around 60 miles."