nuclear-news

The police force protecting our nuclear sites keeps losing classified stuff

Three years ago we revealed a “litany” of security incidents within the police force which guards nuclear plants. They haven’t reduced much since.

Paul Dobson, May 20 2026, https://www.theferret.scot/the-police-force-protecting-our-nuclear-sites-keeps-losing-classified-stuff/

The police force tasked with stopping terrorist attacks at UK nuclear sites dealt with dozens of internal security breaches last year – including a classified laptop going missing, contractors working without proper background checks, and armed officers losing ID cards.

Three breaches involved classified material being lost or stolen outside the Civil Nuclear Constabulary’s (CNC) premises – including two police warrant cards, used to identify officers, which were supposed to arrive via courier.

A further nine cases involved the loss of identity passes, including those belonging to armed officers, and two contractors were found to be working without “appropriate” vetting.

Other breaches included confidential material being left inside body armour sent for destruction, a staff member accessing information they were no longer authorised to see, and compromised personal data. There were 35 breaches in total, the CNC reported.

The CNC is the armed police force that protects civilian nuclear facilities across the UK, including Torness and Dounreay in Scotland. The force also escorts nuclear material when it is being transported and guards other “critical national infrastructure” such as gas terminals.

Our findings come after we submitted a freedom of information request to the force. You can read full details of the breaches here.

Opponents of nuclear energy said the UK “cannot afford to be sloppy when it comes to nuclear security” and claimed “very little appears to have been done” to tackle breaches in recent years.

The CNC described the security incidents last year as “minor” and a spokesperson told The Ferret the force “takes action on all incidents and seeks to learn lessons” from them.

May 23, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK