A mysterious spike in radioactivity has been detected in central Europe, with particles detected in Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and France.

It’s not thought to be harmful to health – but researchers in Germany now believe the isotope Ruthenium-106 is coming from Russia.

Germany’s Federal Office for Radiation Protection (FORP) said last week that five weather stations had detected elevated levels of the particle – and now claim that could be coming from the Urals.

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A spokesman said it could not be an accident at a nuclear power plant.

A spokesman said, ‘The origin of the measured ruthenium-106 is still unknown.

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The source isn’t known, but calculations indicate it came from Eastern Europe.

‘New analyses of the source of the radioactive material indicate a release in the southern Ural, but other regions in southern Russia can not be excluded.

‘Since only ruthenium-106 has been detected, an accident in a nuclear power plant can be excluded as a cause.

‘With this small amount of radioactivity there is no health hazard to the population.’