"Stop nuclear waste trains through Islington!" say local Lib Dems

2.32.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th Jun 2006

Islington's Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to stop transporting nuclear waste through Islington in a motion to council on June 29th.

Currently, nuclear waste is transported through the borough on the North London Rail Line, and the local Lib Dems are concerned about the potential risk to local people if there were an accident or terrorist attack, especially if the nuclear industry is to be expanded, as the government has suggested.

Cllr Terry Stacy, seconding the motion, says:

"To transport such waste through such a heavily populated area as Islington seems foolish at best. While we appreciate the good record the train companies have had in transporting this waste so far, if there were to be an accident or terrorist attack on one of these trains in the middle of a place like Islington, the consequences would be devastating. We want to see these trains more sensibly routed to avoid such big population centres as much as possible.

"In the long run, moving away from nuclear fuel to more environmentally friendly energy is the only real solution, but in the meantime, the Government is left to deal with the noxious waste. Approximately 200 of these trains pass through London every year, and there are around 30 minor accidents involving the trains every year in the UK. Any accident anywhere would be horrific, but we strongly believe that the very worst could be avoided if the trains were more carefully routed."