Tuesday 8th December 2009, 5.00pm

Arts Lecture Theatre, New Arts Faculty Buildin

"A History of Radiological Crime and Terrorism"

Seminar by

James M Cairns, Police Radiation Protection Adviser

James Cairns has been the UK Police Services Radiation Protection Adviser since 2003.

After leaving St. Andrews University, he started his professional career working for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food before undertaking contract work for BNFL. He has been a Radiation Protection Adviser since 1993 overseeing radiological safety for a range of diverse activities from reactor decommissioning, research laboratories and production facilities. James has worked within the National Nuclear Security Division at AWE Plc since 1997 and has been the Radiation Protection Adviser for the UK Police since 2003. He has participated in a number of low and high profile police investigations and provides advice to the UK police on policy, tactics and guidance for dealing with crimes involving radioactive materials.

He has a BSc(Hons) and an MSc from the University of St Andrews and an MSc from the University of Surrey. He is a chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and is a Chartered Radiation Protection Professional.

Abstract

Though Radiation was discovered just over 110 years ago it has only been in the last 50 years that radioactive sources have become widely available for use. These sources of radiation are now found in virtually every industry in every country of the world.

As with a lot of technology, as it becomes more available it is not long before consideration is given to its use for a range of illegal and malicious purposes. This seminar will look at how radiation has been used for criminal purposes covering such crimes as malicious injuries, blackmail, terrorism and murder. During the seminar a number of case studies will be presented that will look at how the crime was undertaken, the consequences of the crime and how it was solved