The government's nuclear security chief says anti-terrorist checks at nuclear facilities across the UK have been cut back due to staff shortages.

Michael Buckland-Smith says he has cancelled security checks at 22 of the 31 nuclear power and waste processing plants, according to a Sunday newspaper.

The director of the Office of Civil Nuclear Security admitted in his office's annual report that the agency was having trouble recruiting staff, Scotland on Sunday reports.

If I were a terrorist I would be heading for Britain

Richard Dixon Friends of the Earth

The newspaper said Mr Buckland-Smith admitted in the report that he had lost highly experienced security staff to the private sector which offered better wages.

In the report Mr Buckland-Smith said: "It is impossible without a thorough and comprehensive programme of site inspections undertaken by experts to identify security weaknesses, or monitor compliance with standards and regulations."

Staff have been removed from doing routine checks to more detailed security work.

All nuclear facilities stepped up security in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the US on 11 September.

'Unauthorised'

But security at facilities is still being compromised, it is alleged.

The report said one member of security staff at an unnamed British power station attempted to bring an unauthorised person into the plant.

However, Mr Buckland-Smith also said he was confident that the "stringent security precautions" being taken were "commensurate" with the current terrorist threat.

Richard Dixon, head of research at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said he was shocked by the report, which he described as "damning".

"If I were a terrorist, looking at this report and scouting out what is happening with the nuclear industry across the world, I would be heading to Britain," he told the paper.

Bomb-making

Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for Linlithgow , said he was "extremely concerned" .

"The quid pro quo for having nuclear facilities is that no corners are cut in the regulation of the security regime covering plants and these staff shortages must mean corners have been cut," he told the paper.

Meanwhile, a massive nuclear bomb-making factory is being planned for Berkshire.

The Observer described the proposed Aldermaston site as one of the most "state-of-the-art" bomb plants in Europe capable of building a "new generation" of bombs.