WHY are the politicians determined to build two of the world's most powerful nuclear reactors on Somerset's beautiful rural coastline?

Why take the risk, however small, of an accidental release of clouds of radioactive material, making large parts of this country uninhabitable?

Human technology is not infallible, did we not learn from the Chernobyl accident 24 years ago, where still today thousands of people cannot return home and even today's children are suffering ongoing medical cancer and genetic problems?

Why make Somerset a key target for the terrorists of the world? The cyber terrorists of today could sabotage the nuclear power station's computerised safety systems and cause much damage to the UK which is mostly downwind from Somerset.

Why create a permanent high level radioactive waste dump in Somerset, which will remain a nuclear cemetery tax-payers will pay for to keep safe and guard for thousands of years.

The highly enriched fuel in this new generation of reactors creates spent fuel which is too hot and dangerous to be moved and packaged for disposal for a hundred years and there is no safe and secure place anywhere in the country for it to go to.

Why expose workers and the local people to extra manmade ionising radioactive releases on top of the natural sources of radiation?

Ionising radiation cannot be seen, felt or detected by the human senses and yet nuclear power stations are allowed to release harmful amounts into the environment routinely. These can only be detected using scientific instruments and once taken into the body, have long term consequences.

We cannot afford to pay the cost of decommissioning our present old nuclear reactors and the cost of looking after 50 years of nuclear waste grows higher every year.

Why take on all these problems when nuclear power is not necessary? We have more than enough local sources of renewable energy for this country, including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro, tidal and wave energy sources.

Allan Jeffery Bridgwater