In pictures: Nuclear cargo ships

Two giant vessels carrying a large cargo of radioactive nuclear fuels have been met by protest ships as they dock in Cumbria.

A protest ship passes Piel Castle near Barrow-in-Furness as it heads out to the Irish sea to meet the two ships

The controversial BNFL vessels have made an 18,000 mile trip from Japan

One of the ships, the Pacific Pintail, is met by the colourful flotilla of protest ships as it nears dock

The ships' cargo - five tonnes of plutonium mixed oxide fuel (Mox) - will be returned to Sellafield

On board: Armed police were part of the tight security operation surrounding the ships' journey

Blaze of publicity: Photographers line up on the dockside to capture the arrival of the vessels

Making a slow three-point turn in the docks at Barrow with the aid of a tug