Rainbow Warrior joins nuclear protest

The Rainbow Warrior is the Greenpeace flagship

Pressure group Greenpeace has given its support to opponents of a second nuclear power station being built in Hartlepool.

On Wednesday their flagship vessel, Rainbow Warrior arrived in Victoria Dock to highlight the concerns of some local people to the idea.

No firm decision has yet been taken on the nuclear station, but Greenpeace is concerned that the authorities appear to support the idea.

The existing nuclear plant is one of several in the country that will reach the end of their useful lives by 2014.

'Clean energy'

The government has hinted it may replace those reactors with more nuclear power plants.

British Energy, which runs the Hartlepool site, said the site is a good spot for a new reactor.

Stephen Tindale, executive director of Greenpeace, said: "It is absurd anyone is considering new nuclear capacity, especially when the region is so rich in clean renewable energy sources like windpower.

"Developing windpower could bring thousands of new jobs to Hartlepool and the surrounding area."

The charity has commissioned a research project into the economic benefits to Hartlepool if the town concentrated on developing wind turbine industries.