ABSTRACT
A few years ago, an unmarked military vehicle broke down on the A4 near the centre of Newbury. Although caused by nothing more serious than a mechanical fault, the incident, which happened in the morning rush-hour and held up the traffic, made the front page of the local newspaper. The reason? The vehicle, accompanied by a police escort, had been transporting nuclear material – reported to be plutonium – from Aldermaston. In the event, there was neither a fire nor a crash, and no one was injured. It was, after all, only a breakdown. Although the Ministry of Defence did not confirm the contents of the vehicle, it reassured the newspaper that the public had never been endangered, noting that: “These are specially-manufactured vehicles designed for the carrying of this sort of material”. 1
