Trident Sailor 'Hands Himself In'

19 May 2015, 11:17 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A Royal Navy submariner who published an online dossier of safety and security concerns about the Trident nuclear programme has been apprehended.

Able Seaman William McNeilly, 25, went absent without leave last week after producing an 18-page report containing a series of allegations about the Trident submarines based at Faslane on the Clyde.

He was stopped last night at Edinburgh Airport and is now being held by Royal Navy Police at a military establishment in Scotland.

His report alleged 30 safety and security flaws on the submarines, describing them as a ''disaster waiting to happen''.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman said today: "We can confirm that Able Seaman McNeilly was apprehended last night and is now in the custody of the Royal Navy Police at a military establishment in Scotland where he is being afforded the duty of care that we give to all of our people.

"The Royal Navy disagrees with McNeilly's subjective and unsubstantiated personal views but we take the operation of our submarines and the safety of our personnel extremely seriously and so continue to fully investigate the circumstances of this issue.''