DUNFERMLINE and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman has urged the UK Government to give Holyrood advance notification when nuclear material is transported through the streets of Scotland.

Currently, the Ministry of Defence does not inform the Scottish Government or local authorities of the movements.

Mr Chapman, who sits on the Defence Select Committee, said: "The transport of highly dangerous nuclear material along Scotland's roads, close to houses, shops and schools, is completely unacceptable and represents a huge risk to public safety.

"The consequences of any accident are absolutely chilling but if the very worst were to happen then the Scottish Government, along with local authorities, would be expected to step in and help with the immediate emergency response as well as the longer term outcomes.

"Scotland must not be kept in the dark any longer and I call on the UK government to urgently begin informing the Scottish Government of the movement of these convoys.

“It remains the case that the only way to fully guarantee public safety is to remove these immoral, strategically useless weapons once and for all – and the SNP will continue to fight every step of the way against spending £167bn on weapons of mass destruction.”

There was widespread outrage when campaign group Nukewatch recently reported that a convoy carrying nuclear materials travelled across Scotland on several occasions. SNP MP Owen Thompson received cross-party support when he proposed that legislation should be introduced to ban the use of the nuclear convoys which travel between Berkshire, where the weapons are made and serviced, and Coulport in Argyll, where they are stored and loaded.