Radioactive sludge removed from Dounreay 'ponds'

Special baskets have been used to remove the radioactive sludge

Work to remove radioactive sludge from water tanks at the Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) is nearing completion.

The DFR is housed within the dome, a landmark of the Dounreay nuclear plant in Caithness.

Two tanks, called ponds, were built in 1956 to store fuel and breeder elements removed from the experimental reactor.

Specially-made baskets have been used to scoop up the sludge which will be treated for storage as low-level radioactive waste.

Dismantling of the ponds is part of a wider project to demolish the reactor.