Gibraltar ‘at nuclear risk’ as EU activists moan at British submarine arrival

An Astute-class submarine has entered the naval base of Gibraltar leaving an activist group furious due to “nuclear risk”.

The conservationist group Verdemar-Ecologists in Action warned of the arrival of a Royal Navy nuclear submarine demanding the vessel leaves. The Spanish environmental group expresses their fear over its nuclear power.

In a statement, Verdemar said that “a submarine of this class has just docked, it may be the HMS Audacious S122”. The group warned that nuclear reactors “pose multiple threats, such as earthquakes, floods, extreme weather phenomena, or aging and the management of the nuclear industry and accidents, for which we are not prepared.”

The organisation continued to point out that “a large part of the nuclear reactors exceed their design life age”.

HMS Audacious is among the most sophisticated underwater vehicles ever constructed. The vessel undertakes a variety of important roles. These include covert intelligence gathering and strategic strikes using missiles.

HMS Audacious has provision for up to 38 weapons in six 21-inch torpedo tubes. She is capable of firing Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles that have a range of 1,000 miles and heavyweight Spearfish torpedoes, which can attack targets up to 14 miles away.

British nuclear submarines often dock at Gibraltar but there are worries in Spain that The Rock is being used as a repair base.

Verdemar Ecologists indicated that they suspect repairs of these “floating bombs” continue in Gibraltar since the submarine HMS Tireless left the waters of Algeciras Bay 20 years ago.

They added that Gibraltar’s military port “is becoming an X port, where the United Kingdom takes its submarines for repair.”

“This type of work on nuclear submarines in Gibraltar is endangering and risking the population of the Strait of Gibraltar,” said the conservationist group, which has demanded “that Gibraltar be free of nuclear propulsion devices and other ships that are genuine floating bombs.”

“We call once and for all for Gibraltar to be free of nuclear-powered devices and other vessels that are veritable floating bombs. We do not have and do not want a Nuclear Emergency Plan, we want them to leave,” they concluded.

Express.co.uk has contacted the Government of Gibraltar for comment.