The Georgian government has put a two week halt on BP’s controversial £2.4 billion Caspian oil pipeline project citing a breach of the environmental permit and other security concerns. BP had been on site for one week.

Georgian environment minister Tamar Lebanidze, said the company failed to provide contractually required environmental and risk assessment information. She fears oil leaks could devastate the region.

Lebanidze added that she would have rejected the pipeline scheme which was agreed by the country’s former president Edward Shevardnadze who was forced out of office last year.