A Japanese official has drunk a glass of water taken from a radioactive puddle at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.

Television footage showed Yasuhiro Sonoda, who serves as the cabinet office's parliamentary spokesman, making the bold move after being challenged by journalists over the safety of decontaminated water from the area.

An exclusion zone has been in place around the plant since the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, which caused partial meltdowns in three of its reactors.

The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo said that the water was not intended for human consumption.

Stills courtesy TEPCO