COUNTER-TERRORISM police officers on the Sellafield site are appealing to the public to report anything suspicious.

A new campaign - Project Servator - launched by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) will see an unpredictable police presence around the nuclear plant.

This is designed to make it difficult for potential terrorists to plan their attack.

Officers insist there is no direct threat to Sellafield but urge the public to be vigilant as nationally the threat remains severe.

The tactics used as part of the project have been used regularly by the City of London Police, British Transport Police and by Police Scotland during the Commonwealth Games. "There's no specific threat to the county or the site but the national threat is still severe - which means an attack is highly likely - so we don't want people to be complacent," said project leader Chief Inspector Tony Cole.

"It's unpredictable so instead of having two people in one place every day sometimes it'll be two, sometimes six or sometimes 10. Sometimes we will have dogs or protection vehicles."

He added: "The aim is to randomise it so if there is anyone looking at the site from a terrorism point of view it is difficult for them to plan."

Project Servator will involve CNC officers working together with the police and surrounding communities to report suspicious activity.

David Moore, the Chairman of the West Cumbria Site Stakeholder Group, which provides public scrutiny of the nuclear industry in the area, said: "People in the community - farmers, landowners and in small villages - know when something different happens but they haven't known how to contact the CNC.

"This facility is now open and they're encouraging people to get in touch. They will decide if it is trivial or not.

"This is a chance to build on the community spirit Cumbria has and to be our eyes and ears. We want people to trust their instincts, if you see anything suspicious then report it."

The CNC is the armed police force in charge of protecting civil nuclear sites and nuclear materials in England, Scotland and Wales. To report any concerns call the CNC on 019467 73999.