THE company which owns Heysham's two nuclear power stations could still go into administration - and faces claims that one of its reactors could be unsafe.

British Energy was saved by a £410 million Government loan this week, while environmental groups demanded the closure of Heysham 2, claiming its design could lead to a serious accident.

One nuclear safety expert says he is 'astonished' that the Government has not yet stepped in to close the plant.

However, station bosses say the station has been fully checked and, whatever the company's financial situation, safety will remain the priority.

Heysham 2 was built according to a similar design and by the same company as Torness, the Scottish plant currently closed on safety grounds.

Greenpeace claims Heysham 2 has replaced its gas circulator impellers - the same piece of equipment which caused Torness to close - on several occassions since it opened in 1988.

British Energy says the circulators are replced on a regular basis as a matter of routine.

Both Greenpeace and the Green Party have demanded that the plant is shut down by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate immediately.

Gisela Reynolds, of Lancaster Green Party, said: "The Lancaster and District Green Party will be writing to the Government to urge that Heysham 2 should be shut down.

"Instead of the Government bailing British Energy out of a financial crisis of its own making, it should be helping British Energy divert its funds and technical expertise into the development of wind farms off the Lancashire coast."

Nuclear safety expert, John Large, said this week: "This is a type of fault which means that every reactor that uses these circulators is at risk.

Debris becoming detached could lead to events such as overheating of the reactor fuel and uncontrolled radioactive release to the atmosphere.

"I am astonished that the NII is content to let Heysham 2 continue in operation under the shadow of such risk."

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive, of which the NII is a part, said: "The company is monitoring the reactors at Heysham very closely, including the circulators, and we would therefore expect the company to pick up any problems with the safety of the reactors."

A British Energy spokesman said the station was running normally after checks.

British Energy shares - which peaked at £7, were trading at just 28p earlier this week.

Government advisers say that they have not ruled out calling in administrators to run the firm, which has suffered because of a decline in the price of electricity.