Anti-nuclear campaigners and politicians have reacted with fury after the government agreed to accept radioactive waste into Scotland for reprocessing.

BBC Environment correspondent Richard Wilson: enough uranium to make a small bomb (2'23")

The agreement to deal with the waste from the former Soviet republic of Georgia was greeted with dismay and accusations that the controversial Dounreay nuclear power plant was being used as an international dumping ground.

But the government has rejected the allegations. It said it agreed to take the waste because international experts feared it could fall into the wrong hands.

Lang Banks of Scottish Friends of the Earth says reprocessing just creates more problems (1' 43")

Georgia lacks the expertise to deal with the waste and its nuclear industry is in tatters.

The operation to retrieve the material and fly it to Scotland is being carried out by the United States, which does not want it falling into the wrong hands.

One US expert said the waste could become a poor man's nuclear weapon if it fell into the hands of Chechen separatists in the former Soviet Union or was acquired by the regional power such as Iran.

Scientists in Georgia lack facilities to store the waste

The original planned destination of the waste, Russia, refused to take the 5kg consignment of uranium and spent nuclear fuel, as did France.

It was at this point, believed to be several months ago, that the UK stepped in.

Defending the shipment, the government issued a statement saying: "The government's decision to accept the fuel was made entirely on non-proliferation grounds.

"This is very much a one-off project in exceptional and unusual circumstances."

"Ill-conceived and dangerous"

But the decision to accept the waste has provoked strong protests from opposition politicians and environmentalists over the secrecy surrounding the operation.

BBC Environment correspondent Richard Wilson: embarrassing subject for US (1'36")

The Scottish National Party's environment spokeswoman, Roseanna Cunningham MP, demanded an explanation.

"If the waste is a matter of international concern why do none of the powers directly involved want anything to do with it," she said.

"My reaction is the same that will come from the majority of Scottish people - utter outrage that Tony Blair has had the temerity to do this behind people's backs."

Dr Brian East of Scottish Universities' research and reactor centre says Dounreay is capable of handling the waste

Friends of the Earth accused the management at Dounreay of colluding with the government to try and find a new market for an uneconomic and dangerous plant.

Spokesman Kevin Dunion said: "The dangerous transport of highly radioactive weapons-grade material around the world does not address the fundamental problem of what to do with radioactive waste.

"Dounreay leaks like a sieve and some of this material is likely to end up on the beaches."
 

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