It is the first such exercise to be held at the port

The exercise at the Port of Workington has been organised by British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) in advance of its bid to ship MOX fuel from the port.

Exercise Baltimore will involve 120 people including police, firefighters and paramedics.

People are being urged not to worry and assured that it is a routine exercise.

BNFL head of international transport Captain Malcolm Miller said: "We have a series of exercises every year, some on land, some on sea, some in Japan and this is to test our systems.

"This is the way we learn and can benefit from improving the systems and also the inter-relations with the other agencies as well because they test their systems and we see how we can complement each other."

'Improve systems'

It is the first such exercise which has been held at the port.

Among the organisations taking part are the Port of Workington, Cumbria Police, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority police and fire service.

There will also be a number of observers including from the coastguard, councils and the Department for Transport.

Mr Miller said there was no need for people living near by to worry.

He said: "It shouldn't be a surprise to people, it has been in the local press that we are having this exercise.

"People will hopefully be reassured we are having these exercise so that we can improve the systems we have in place already."