Watchdog warns of rust and leaks at nuclear plant

Dounreay is in the process of being decommissioned and demolished

A watchdog has raised safety concerns about the state of some areas of the Dounreay nuclear power complex.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) found corroded steelwork in a building being used to store drums of radioactive sodium, and leaks from low-level radioactive waste pits.

Dounreay's operator, NRS, said it was carrying out urgent repairs and had an action plan to deal with other issues.

These included ONR's warnings about old and degraded electric equipment and the site's stockpile of chemicals being over its set limit.

Dounreay was opened on the north Caithness coast almost 70 years ago and was the UK's centre of fast reactor research and development until 1994.

It is now Scotland's largest nuclear clean-up and demolition project, according to ONR.

Hundreds of workers are involved in decommissioning Dounreay.