The German environment ministry has banned the transport of all combustible nuclear material pending an investigation into radiation leaks far greater than the permitted level.

Excessive radiation was found on convoys of spent nuclear fuel rods sent to reprocessing plants at Sellafield in Britain and La Hague in France.

One shipment, measured in France, showed 3,000 times the accepted norm - even though it had been cleared by radiation inspections in Germany.

Trucks carry a controversial shipment through Ahaus, Germany

With no re-processing plants of its own, Germany sends regular shipments of spent nuclear fuel rods abroad. The rest is stored at sites in northern Germany.

The ministry said convoys would resume only after appropriate measures ensured there was no further contamination.

The German Environment Minister, Angela Merkel, said nuclear industry officials had been aware of the problem for 10 years but the government had only been told about it last month.

The government insists there was never any risk to the public.

Environmental campaigners have called the disclosures a massive cover-up and are accusing the government of neglect.

There is a growing scandal in Germany over the transportation of nuclear waste - over the past two years, convoys in the country have had to be guarded from anti-nuclear demonstrators by up to 30,000 police officers.
 

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