NUCLEAR energy bosses at Oldbury power station have rejected claims that safety could be compromised by a shortage of Government inspectors.

Anti-nuclear campaigners have alleged that safety inspections at Oldbury and other UK nuclear power stations are being hit by a staff crisis at the National Installations Inspectorate.

They claim that increased pressure on staff from added workloads, failure of a recruitment campaign and a work-to-rule by inspectors has led to a cut back in front line inspections at nuclear plants.

Campaigners view Oldbury's two 35-year-old Magnox reactors as in need of more, not fewer, inspections and have zeroed in on the problems within the NII.

Officials at Health and Safety Executive headquarters in London this week confirmed that the department had recruitment problems but categorically denied any threat to frontline safety inspections at Oldbury or any other nuclear plant.

"There has been no deterioration in the level of nuclear safety oversight," said Nuclear Installations Inspectorate spokesman Mark Wheeler. "Longer term issues may be going at a slower pace - or are even being deferred - but safety-critical work is being done and no safety issues are being allowed to go unregulated."

Tim Jones, management spokesman for the Oldbury plant, said: "It's business as usual. Site inspectors work to a programme that includes site visits and they have continued. "We have seen nothing to indicate that anything has changed."

Oldbury's number one reactor has been out of commission since May last year while station operators British Nuclear Group carried out extended safety checks on its graphite core. The reactor was given the green light to resume generating power last month but has still not been re-started owing to problems with non-nuclear equipment.

The two reactors are due to cease generating electricity in just under four years time when the plant will be 40-years-old.

Mr Wheeler said it was misleading to link staff shortages with the safety checks on Oldbury's graphite core.

"It is the licensed operators who carry out these tests, not our inspectors," he said. "They have to convince us that a valid safety case has been made out."

Jim Duffy, co-ordinator for the Shut Oldbury campaign, said the very fact the NII inspections were not at normal levels was sufficient cause for concern.

"This is the worst time in years to cut down on safety inspections," he said.

"This old reactor, run by a cash-strapped company, could unleash untold harm. There have clearly been concern over its safety and it should at least be mothballed until we know the results of the reactor two inspection which is due this summer." * See Letters to the Editor - page 21