BRITISH Energy yesterday said it could not yet provide a date for the return to service of its nuclear site on Teesside which closed two weeks ago.

The site, in Hartlepool, has been out of action since the discovery of wire corrosion in a boiler closure unit during an inspection.

Tests have shown a similar problem at one of the two reactors at Heysham, in Lancashire.

Inspections at Heysham have started and are due to begin at the second unit at Hartlepool soon.

Last night, British Energy said it was finding a way to return the units to service.

The company said: This is a complex issue and a timetable for the return to service of these units can only be formed when inspections and a full assessment of the situation have been completed.'' Hartlepool and Heysham are capable of supplying more than 1.5 million homes - enough electricity to keep three cities the size of Liverpool supplied during peak loading hours. They started generating power in 1983 and decommissioning has been estimated for 2014.

There are eight steel and concrete boiler closure units in each reactor.

British Energy said the corrosion was a legacy issue from the initial construction.