The discovery of corrosion in a nuclear plant in the United States has raised concerns of similar problems at a Suffolk power station.

Safety checks are under way at plants across America following the find at the pressurised water reactor plant in Ohio.

Suffolk's Sizewell B plant is the only pressurised water reactor plant among eight British Energy-operated nuclear power stations.

The UK's Health and Safety Executive said on Wednesday its Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) was considering the implications of the US discovery for the Suffolk plant.

Maintenance shutdown

"We are aware of the incident and have received technical information from the US," a spokesman said.

The corrosion at the American plant, reported to be around six inches deep, was discovered in a vessel head during a maintenance shutdown.

Checks are now being carried out across America on plants similar to the Ohio power station.

A spokesman for British Energy said the 25-year-old Ohio plant and all those under scrutiny were much older than Sizewell B.

"Sizewell B is a very new plant and the American situation here relates to corrosion - Sizewell B has only been operational for seven years."

Full inspections and shutdowns of nuclear power stations in the UK take place every 18 months to two years.

'Highly regulated'

The British Energy spokesman said monitoring equipment would pick up any problems in-between shutdowns.

Sizewell B spokesman John MacNamara told BBC Radio Suffolk the plant was safe.

"As you would expect it is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world.

"It is regulated by the NII, so we can only operate and keep the reactor running as long as they are confident that everything is safe and they're happy and all the checks are carried out."