The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) has for the first time tested a scenario in which armed attackers try to steal a shipment of radioactive material being transported from the Dounreay nuclear power plant, working with Police Scotland and other emergency services in an exercise held late last month.
The training involved attackers deliberately crashing a car to stop a lorry heading for Georgemas Junction, a railway station about six miles from the plant on the north Caithness coast. In real operations, that station has been used to move radioactive material from Dounreay to Sellafield in Cumbria for reprocessing or storage.
Dounreay was built as an experimental nuclear reactor site in the 1950s and is now in a years-long decommissioning process. An employee at the site, near Thurso, was "arrested" as part of the exercise.
CNC exercise and resilience manager Steve Warren said: "This was a scenario that had not been exercised or tested before, meaning we were asking a lot of everyone involved."
Ch Insp Dave McIntosh, of Dounreay's operational policing unit, said the training had placed personnel in "really challenging circumstances". He added: "I'm very proud of them, they did a really, really good job."
The CNC said months of planning went into the exercise. A workshop was also held involving police, Highland Council, Dounreay and the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment, a military facility next to Dounreay used for testing prototype nuclear reactors for submarines.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The exercise tests security around the transport of radioactive material, a route used to move waste from one of the UK's oldest nuclear sites.
- It is the first time this specific attack scenario has been rehearsed, indicating evolving threat assessments.
- The involvement of multiple agencies shows the level of coordination required to secure such shipments.
Background
Dounreay, on the north coast of Scotland, was an experimental nuclear reactor site opened in the 1950s. It is now being decommissioned, a process expected to take decades. Spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive material from the site are transported by road and rail to Sellafield in Cumbria for reprocessing or storage. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary is the armed police force responsible for protecting civil nuclear sites and materials in the UK.
Key Perspectives
Steve Warren, CNC exercise and resilience manager: said the scenario had not been tested before and asked a lot of everyone involved.
Ch Insp Dave McIntosh, Dounreay operational policing unit: said the training placed personnel in challenging circumstances and that he was proud of them for doing a really good job.
What to Watch
- Whether the exercise leads to changes in transport security protocols for nuclear materials.
- If further exercises of this kind are scheduled for other nuclear transport routes.
- Any official assessment or recommendations arising from the workshop held alongside the drill.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedArmed police test a response to a simulated attack on a radioactive shipment in Caithness.BBC Scotland: “Armed police have for the first time tested a scenario where an attempt is made to attack and steal a shipment of radioactive material being transported from the Dounreay nuclear power plant.”
- SupportedThe exercise simulated an attempt to steal radioactive material from a lorry near Dounreay.BBC Scotland: “The Civil Nuclear Constabulary exercise involved armed attackers deliberately crashing a car to stop a lorry reaching Georgemas Junction”
- SupportedThe CNC tested this scenario for the first time.BBC Scotland: “Armed police have for the first time tested a scenario where an attempt is made to attack and steal a shipment of radioactive material”
- Not in the sourcesThe attackers were armed.BBC Scotland: “The Civil Nuclear Constabulary exercise involved armed attackers deliberately crashing a car to stop a lorry reaching Georgemas Junction”
- SupportedThe CNC worked with Police Scotland and other emergency services in an exercise held late last month.BBC Scotland: “The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) worked with Police Scotland and other emergency services during the exercise held late last month.”
- SupportedThe scenario involved attackers deliberately crashing a car to stop a lorry heading for Georgemas Junction.BBC Scotland: “The Civil Nuclear Constabulary exercise involved armed attackers deliberately crashing a car to stop a lorry reaching Georgemas Junction”
- SupportedGeorgemas Junction is about six miles from Dounreay on the north Caithness coast.BBC Scotland: “Georgemas Junction, a railway station about six miles from the plant on the north Caithness coast.”
- SupportedGeorgemas Junction has been used to transport radioactive material from Dounreay to Sellafield in Cumbria for reprocessing or storage.BBC Scotland: “In real-life situations, the station has been used for transporting radioactive material from Dounreay to Sellafield in Cumbria for reprocessing or storage.”
- SupportedA Dounreay employee was “arrested” as part of the exercise.BBC Scotland: “The training exercise included an employee at Dounreay, near Thurso, being "arrested" in connection with the attack.”
- SupportedSteve Warren said: “This was a scenario that had not been exercised or tested before, meaning we were asking a lot of everyone involved.”BBC Scotland: “Exercise and resilience manager Steve Warren said: "This was a scenario that had not been exercised or tested before, meaning we were asking a lot of everyone involved."”
- SupportedDave McIntosh said the training had placed personnel in “really challenging circumstances”.BBC Scotland: “Ch Insp Dave McIntosh, of Dounreay's operational policing unit, said the training had placed personnel in "really challenging circumstances".”
- SupportedDave McIntosh said: “I'm very proud of them, they did a really, really good job.”BBC Scotland: “He added: "I'm very proud of them, they did a really, really good job."”