A leaked report has raised questions about the structural safety of Oldbury nuclear power station in Gloucestershire.

The document says the highly radioactive graphite core may have been weakened.

The paper, obtained by the BBC health correspondent Matthew Hill, also says some parts of the core may have already failed.

BNFL, the independent company that runs the site by the River Severn, says the core is safe and that it carries out regular test readings.

Reactors 'all-clear'

The Nuclear Installation Inspectorate has also said it was satisfied the core was safe.

It has recently given permission to extend the life of the reactors to 40 years.

Oldbury power station has been linked with a high incidence of myloid leukaemia among children in Chepstow, five miles away across the Severn.

Radiation campaigner Dr Chris Busby found the chance of Chepstow children developing the disease was 11 times higher than the national average.