Radioactive particles from earthquake-hit Japanese nuclear plant are detected in OXFORDSHIRE - 29th Mar 2011

Radiation from the Fukushima leak has been detected across Britain, it was confirmed today as Japan was put on 'maximum' alert.

The Health Protection Agency revealed that radioactive iodine had already been discovered 5,500 miles from the stricken plant in Oxfordshire and Glasgow.

Air samples are being tested elsewhere in Britain over fears that much of the country could be hit by the radioactive plume.

Dr Michael Clark of the HPA said: 'Very low levels of radioactivity, traceable to Fukushima, have been detected at monitoring stations in the UK including Chilton, in Oxfordshire, and Glasgow, in Scotland.

'These traces have been found in Europe - Switzerland, Germany and Iceland - and in the USA.

'They're trace levels but of course with radioactivity we can measure very low amounts.'

The revelation came as Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan told his parliament that the country was grappling with its worst problems since the Second World War.

'This quake, tsunami and the nuclear accident are the biggest crises for Japan' in decades, Mr Kan said. Read More