Shell shut down a North Sea platform amid fears corroded pipework could cause an explosion.

Safety inspectors found part of the Armada platform's flare in a poor state and said pipework had not been maintained properly.

A section of pipe that was supposed to be 7.1mm thick measured around 1.6mm.

The Health and Safety Executive said it could have caused a leak, fire or an explosion aboard the Armada, 132 miles east of Aberdeen.

Production was suspended for two weeks while repairs were made and the platform restarted on July 9.

A Shell spokesman said: "We received a prohibition notice on June 19, 2017, in relation to the flare system on the Armada platform in the central North Sea.

"We have completed the necessary improvement work as stipulated under the prohibition notice and the platform returned to production on July 9."

Shell took control of Armada following its £38bn buyover of the BG Group and intends to sell it to rival Chrysaor.

The deal, which also includes several other platforms, is worth around £3bn.

Meanwhile, a Shell facility shut down following a gas leak has restarted.

Dozens of workers were flown off Brent Charlie during the incident on May 19.