Open meeting to discuss the implications of the nuclear convoys which pass through the Wetherby area on the A1 several times a year.
A report released on 21st September this year (see below for more info), into nuclear weapons on Britain’s roads, highlighted the implications of an accident on the A1 near Wetherby and revealed that the Ministry of Defence had reported 180 ‘safety incidents’ with the convoys since 2000. This meeting is a response to this report and the concerns it addresses about Wetherby’s proximity to the convoy route.
The convoys, made up of up to 20 vehicles, are meant to be secret and carry no warning to the emergency services or first responder of their deadly cargo. They travel through Wetherby between two and six times a year. Despite the apparent secrecy, the convoys are often photographed and tracked on social media and last month a single convoy was stopped twice on route by protesters.
According to the report “a convoy accident on the A1 east of Wetherby near Leeds would put 41,500 people at risk of radioactive contamination. Within a 10-kilometre radius there are 32 schools and five major roads that could be disrupted.
In response to a freedom of information request, Wetherby Town Council said it was ‘not usually given any warning by the British Government before a convoy travels past Wetherby town.’
It pointed out that emergency planning was the responsibility of Leeds City Council, who confirmed that they were also not informed of convoy movements by West Yorkshire Police. We also understand that first-responders such as ambulance and fire-service personnel are also given no warning, and we would like to clarify this with yourselves.
The meeting is being organised by the Nukes of Hazard Campaign (see below) in conjunction with local residents, one of whom said recently “I’m very concerned about nuclear bombs passing through our community, accidents so far have been minor, but how much longer can our luck hold out”.
The meeting is at 7pm on Monday 17th October in Wetherby Methodists Church, Bank Street , Wetherby, Leeds, LS22 6NQ and it is open to anyone to attend.
If you would like more information please get in touch
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1. The Nukes of Hazard report (published 21st Sept 2016) was written by Guardian Journalist Rob Edwards and commissioned by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) – Full pdf of the report is available -> http://1.1.1.2/bmi/
