Oil workers in second evacuation

Engineers are investigating the cause of the leak

Workers on a North Sea oil platform at the centre of previous safety incidents have been evacuated after an oil leak.

The majority of staff were taken off the Brent Bravo after the leak was found in the utility leg, less than two weeks after a similar alert.

It was the same leg of the production platform where two men were killed two years ago.

Keith Moncrieff, 45, and Sean McCue, 22, died after gas escaped on the installation in September 2003.

Shell described the latest leak as small and a spokeswoman said: "There is no immediate threat to personnel or the installation."

The company said 120 of the 143 staff on board were taken off as a precaution and an investigation was under way to establish the cause of the leak.

The utility leg is used for the storage of equipment and allows access to operations below sea level.