Japanese nuclear company probed

Officials in Japan have begun searching for evidence at the headquarters of the world's largest private power company, after it admitted falsifying records of repairs at nuclear plants.

Tokyo Electric Power company said last week that cracks at nuclear reactors were not reported during inspections in the late 1980s and 90s.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is now investigating the company's headquarters to check documents and interview executives. Senior company executives have said they will resign to take responsibility for the scandal.

Correspondents say public confidence in Japan's nuclear power industry was already low after a 1999 accident in Tokaimura which killed two plant workers and exposed hundreds to radiation.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service