Specialist divers complete nuclear clean up at Sizewell

Specialist divers have completed their mission to clear up with radioactive waste from Sizewell A's nuclear fuel storage ponds

The work, part of the decommissioning of Sizewell A, included cutting up fuel storage areas and redundant equipment.

It has been completed two months ahead of schedule.

The divers were shielded from radiation by the water in the ponds.

During the dives, the team also cut up around 100 tonnes of other redundant equipment before removing all the radioactive sludge from the pond floor.

While Sizewell A was producing electricity the ponds were used to shore thousands of used nuclear fuel elements, held in metal skips, after they were finished with in the reactors.

After the last of the fuel was transferred to Sellafield for reprocessing, the skips and a range of other waste items - including radioactive sludge - were left behind under the water.