North Korea may be poised for new nuclear missile test itv.com

North Korea may be poised to launch a new nuclear missile test, experts have warned.

The highly isolated Communist state may be preparing to take the next step in developing a nuclear weapons programme as tensions on the peninsula rise dramatically.

There was speculation that the North might set a missile to mark the 105th anniversary of the birth of the state's founder Kim Il Sung on Sunday.

US-based monitoring group 38 North said satellite imaging appears to show the country's nuclear site is "prime and ready" for a new test.

It claimed the pictures revealed "new activity" in the site's administration area plus what appeared to be piles of equipment covered in tarpaulins or nets.

North Korea launched a long-range rocket carrying a satellite on April 13, 2012, to mark the centenary of Kim Il Sung's birth.

A group of western journalists currently in the state were reportedly told to expect a "big and important event" – but instead of watching a display of military might saw leader Kim Jong Un open a new residential area.