Undersea nuclear waste dump off Cumbria would imperil marine life, experts warn

UK looking for storage site for world's biggest stockpile of untreated waste, including 100 tonnes of plutonium

Plans to dispose of radioactive nuclear waste beneath the seabed off the north-west coast of England risk seriously harming marine life including mammals such as dolphins and whales, experts have warned.

Seismic surveys in the Irish Sea near Cumbria get under way on Saturday to explore whether the area is suitable for a proposed facility. The UK government is seeking a location for a deep underground repository to store the world's largest stockpile of untreated nuclear waste.