A NUCLEAR physicist has told a tribunal of terrifying safety lapses at the Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria and described how conditions there reduced him to tears.

Ronald Hanas, who quit his job at BNFL Instruments in November 2000, claimed management failings led to confrontations and staff refusing to carry out tasks.

Mr Hanas, 47, who is claiming constructive dismissal against his former employers, told the Carlisle tribunal: "These events and the other things I had learned recently about BNFL operations added up to the point where it was cry or hit someone. I chose the former."

He said poor management also led to a situation in which site regulations were ignored.

In one instance, powerful radioactive material was left unsupervised outside a compound.

In another, workers were unnecessarily exposed to radiation because of a breakdown of communication, he said.

Mr Hanas, who is bringing a further claim under the Public Interest Disclosure Act, said he was not acting vindictively.

The tribunal continues.