The employees at the South Carolina plant have made a series of allegations, including that they were exposed to twice as much radiation as their white colleagues.

They claim they were overlooked for promotion despite being better qualified than some white workers.

It is alarming that this lynch mob mentality persists in the 2002

Simon Woolley, Operation Black Vote

And they also allege that they found racist graffiti on toilet walls and nooses in their lockers at the Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC), in which British Nuclear Fuels has a 40% economic interest.

BNFL told BBC News Online the allegations were made before its involvement in the company.

A spokesman said: "BNFL has a strict policy on equal opportunities and does not condone any activities which are contrary to this".

But MPs and anti-racism campaigners have called for the UK company to investigate the allegations.

Legal action by 32 people seeking compensation is expected to return to court in the US in October.

Although BNFL has a stake in the Savannah River Site - which processes nuclear waste in Aiken, in South Carolina - it is not involved in the day-to-day running of the business.

Investigation calls

But Simon Woolley, head of British pressure group Operation Black Vote, told BBC News Online that BNFL should send in independent assessors to speak to the workers about their experience to restore public confidence.

"This is a throwback to the bad old days in Mississippi and Alabama," he said.

Following the allegations policies and procedures were extensively reviewed by external experts

BNFL spokesman

"It is alarming that this lynch mob mentality persists in 2002."

Alan Simpson, Labour MP for Nottingham South and a former race relations official, told the Independent newspaper that it was unacceptable "under any circumstances" for a British company to be in any way implicated in such practices.

He told the paper: "No one is suggesting BNFL was responsible for this but they have rebranded themselves as a clean up company and they ought to clean up their own house first."

'Wrongdoing' denied

The workers pursuing the legal action allege that black employees were deliberately placed in jobs that carried a greater risk of exposure to radiation than whites.

Five years ago a New York lawyer unsuccessfully attempted to bring a "class action" or group litigation on behalf of 99 employees.

But the judge refused to accept a report making claims about the disparity in radiation levels as evidence.

The court ruled in favour of the WSRC and three people withdrew their claims while 62 settled out of court.

The company did not accept any wrongdoing.

Westinghouse acquisition

A spokesman told the Independent it was cheaper than going to court and the company would defend itself in court against further claims.

The BNFL spokesman said of the fresh legal action: "These claims have already been considered and dismissed as a class action by a Judge in the US Federal Court.

"Since the acquisition of Westinghouse, BNFL has been satisfied that Westinghouse Government Services has conducted itself properly.

"Following the allegations policies and procedures were extensively reviewed by external experts and we are confident they are consistent with best equal opportunities practice."

BNFL Savannah River Corporation, a company that BNFL owns, has a subcontract with WSRC. It has also been named in the continuing legal action.