Chris Grimshaw

British energy has had to close down four reactors amongst its ageing fleet of Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors (AGR).

The closures at Hartlepool, and Heysham in Lancashire were caused when a "wire winding" on a boiler at Hartlepool was discovered during a routine stoppage of the reactor. Heysham was closed as it has a very similar design. Hartlepool, which began producing power in 1989, was one of the last AGRs to go online.

These embarrassing closures come only a year after the reactors at Hunterston and Hinkley Point were closed due to cracks in the reactor cores and boiler tubes. The industry claims that the next generation of reactors will function reliably and safely over lifespans of sixty years.