People urged to sign up for nuclear site alerts

The Atomic Weapons Establishment is the only maker of nuclear warheads in Britain

People living near an atomic weapons site are being invited to sign up to emergency text alerts so they can be notified in the event of a radiation emergency.

West Berkshire Council said people affected by the Detailed Emergency Planning Zones (DEPZ) around the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) sites in Aldermaston or Burghfield, Berkshire, could sign up for the new service.

The authority said the likelihood of an emergency that could impact the public was "extremely low".

But it added that it was "essential" to have a quick way to share information if needed.

The message alerts will provide instructions on what to do in the event of an emergency, the council said.

Currently people in the DEPZ would be notified via landline, but the new system will ensure people would be notified wherever they were, and regardless of whether they had a landline.

Details of how to sign up are on the West Berkshire Council website.

The scheme is separate from the government emergency alerts.

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