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No-fly zones introduced after Daily Press revelations

A no-fly zone has been put in place over Britain’s nuclear power stations – just days after the Western Daily Press questioned their security.

The protection of the stations was tightened after the Press revealed how easily terrorists could target them from the air.

All planes have now been banned from flying below 2,000ft within a radius of two nautical miles of all power stations.

To expose concerns about safety, the newspaper chartered a pilot who was able to fly, with a photographer, directly over Hinkley Point power station in Somerset at 2,000ft without being challenged by air traffic controllers.

Some stations have permanent restricted airspace above them, but others, including Hinkley Point, did not until the new restrictions were announced.

Daily Press editor Terry Manners, said: “Sometimes to force an issue, it behoves a newspaper to step outside the usual rules of engagement and use shock tactics.

“Such an action was our decision to overfly Hinkley Point nuclear power station and the Ministry of Defence nerve centre at Abbey Wood in Bristol.

“Our argument was that if we could do it so easily, so could a determined suicide bomber piloting a plane packed with explosives.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Within 24 hours of our second picture story on unguarded potential terrorist targets, the Ministry declared no-fly ceilings over all Britain’s nuclear sites.

“We won’t pretend that even now we are very impressed with the latest defensive moves. The 2,000ft ceiling they have put in place and the two-mile radius of deterrence may still not be enough to stop evildoers, but at least something has happened.”

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