IT would be wrong to shut down the Sellafield nuclear plant without official evidence to back up claims it was dangerous, the British Prime Minister said in the Commons yesterday, writes Joe Churcher.

Mr Blair played down safety fears after last week's mass postcard campaign from Irish protesters demanding closure of the complex in Cumbria.

At question time former SDLP leader John Hume said the protest, spearheaded by the wife of U2 pop singer Bono, was the largest correspondence on one issue received by any British Prime Minister.

He asked: "Are you prepared to take steps to remove those concerns?"

Mr Blair told him: "I am aware of the concern that is expressed. However, the Sellafield plant, and indeed any other plant in this country, is subject to the strictest, not just national, but international standards.

"Those standards are regularly reviewed. The plants themselves are regularly inspected and these inspections have never found there is a problem such as that alleged in parts of the press and amongst other political parties.

"I think it would be wrong to close down nuclear facilities if there wasn't sufficient evidence to back the closures."