A NORTH Sea oil platform has been shut down following a gas leak.

The gas detection alarm sounded on Friday morning on Shell's Brent Charlie platform, 115 miles north-east of Shetland.

Shell said all 176 people on board have been accounted for and a total of 31 non-essential workers are being evacuated from the platform as a precaution.

A Shell spokeswoman said: "Following a gas detection alarm, production was shut down and the platform called to muster. The source of the leak has been safely detected and isolated and a full investigation into the cause will be completed."

The spokeswoman said the leak was discovered on the platform above sea level and there was no impact on the marine environment.