POLICE officers who are called to protests outside Sizewell nuclear power station will receive specialised training and equipment courtesy of those who own the reactor.

POLICE officers who are called to protests outside Sizewell nuclear power station will receive specialised training and equipment courtesy of those who own the reactor.

British Energy has given £10,000 to the county's police force to provide training for officers on how to use specialist cutting equipment - designed to release those who attach themselves to fences or buildings.

The details of the funding were revealed in papers for Suffolk Police Authority's Engaging Communities Committee, which meets on Friday.

The document reads: “Over the years protestors have increased the diversity of their 'lock on' capabilities, attaching themselves to a building or large object, and the police have responded with their training and specialist equipment to allow the safe removal of protestors.”

It said the new training will allow officers to deal with incidents quickly and with the lease disruption to the community.

The last protest at Sizewell happened earlier this year when campaigners linked their arms together with tubes outside the power station in opposition to the environmental impact of nuclear reactors and uranium mining.