Fukushima evacuees visit homes

About 100 evacuees were allowed into the exclusion zone around Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant yesterday for a brief visit to gather belongings from their homes.

It is the first time the Government has felt confident enough in the safety of the area to sanction short trips there.

The evacuees - just a fraction of the tens of thousands forced to flee - were given protective suits, goggles and face masks as well as plastic bags to put their belongings in.

They were also given dosimeters to monitor radiation levels and were screened for radiation contamination afterwards.