Blair refused intel-sharing with Ireland over Sellafield

MI5 blocked an appeal by Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern for the UK to share intelligence on any terrorist threat to the Sellafield nuclear facility, according to newly-released government files.

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Following the deadly 2004 Madrid train bombing, the Taoiseach wrote to Tony Blair warning of a "transnational catastrophe" which could engulf his country if international terrorists targeted the site on the Cumbrian coast.

However files released to National Archives at Kew, west London, show that Mr Blair rejected his request for intelligence-sharing insisting the UK had to protect the confidentiality of it sources.

Instead the Irish leader had to settle for an assurance that the British ambassador would brief his officials if any threat to Sellafield was uncovered.