DALGETY Bay beach meets the criteria to be designated as "radioactive contaminated land", the latest report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency confirms.

The SEPA report details the hazards posed by the contamination and the associated pathways where people using the area could encounter such sources and the chance of such an encounter.

Copies of the report were made available last week to the Dalgety Bay Forum and have been distributed to other agencies for their views.

Dr James Gemmill, SEPA's Radioactive Substances Unit Manager, said, "The most likely form of exposure continues to be by skin contact.

"The Radioactive Contaminated Land regulations state that where there are suitable management arrangements in place, designation is not required.

"The current arrangements at Dalgety Bay, including monitoring and recovery coupled with demarcation of the area where the highest activity sources have been found, reduce the risks to beach users.

" There are also the signs advising people not to remove items from the beach, to wash their hands and to stay off the demarcated area, and following this advice will reduce the risk further.

"We are now developing our report on which parties may be responsible for the contamination (appropriate persons), which we hope to complete by the end of June.

"While the risk assessment does show that there are areas of Dalgety Bay that could be designated as Radioactive Contaminated Land, we very much hope that we do not need to take that step and can move to a voluntary solution.

" It is important to note that whilst these works are ongoing the public continue to be afforded an appropriate level of protection by the management arrangements currently in place."