A leading councillor has called for an independent inquiry after it was revealed that low-level radioactive waste had been dumped at Shoebury.

Jean Sibley, the Southend councillor with responsibility for Environmental Services said that the council had written to Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon for an urgent report on the matter.

She said: "I am disappointed that we have not been advised of any radioactive waste being destroyed on this site. It may be that this material does not pose any threat to the Southend residents, but I feel that an independent inquiry should be launched to allay their fears."

Southend East and Rochford MP Sir Teddy Taylor wants reassurances that there was no danger to the public following the Ministry of Defence decision to dispose of explosives from decommisioned nuclear weapons at the site.

He said: "I don't really think there is a serious health problem at all, I just want to be reassured."

The high explosive material is said to have been taken to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency site for disposal by detonation.

A MoD spokesman said levels of radioactivity in the waste dumped at Shoebury were "absolutely minute". He added: "They are not sufficient to classify the explosives as being radioactive."

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