Wednesday, February 27, 2013

A radioactive substance could have been stolen from a van


Van insurance policyholders often transport many important items in their vehicles. Some of these are vital for businesses, others could be extremely valuable – but certain cargos can be dangerous.

Recently, a van was broken into within the Lancashire area – and a small canister was stolen from the vehicle. Although there are no reports as to how many criminals were involved, police have warned that this cargo might be hazardous.
It is believed that the canister was being used to transport a small quantity of Iridium-192 – a radioactive substance which has industrial and medical applications.

Fortunately, the material shouldn't pose a danger to the general public providing the canister isn't opened. The container has been marked with a radiation symbol so hopefully those who stole the substance will have the common sense to keep it closed.

In the event the cylinder is opened, a spokesperson for the Health Protection Agency urged people who have had "prolonged physical contact" with the material to seek medical attention.
If you locate the missing canister, then you should not attempt to transport it and instead contact police who will collect the item. In addition, the criminals have been urged to return the material as they could be placing their wellbeing at risk.

If anyone has any information about the stolen container, he or she can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Photo © Beige Alert via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

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