Nuclear leak? Worry not, says Navy

Devonport is base for end-of-life submarines

The Royal Navy insists residents in Plymouth have no reason to fear a radiation leak from the 13 decommissioned nuclear submarines moored at Devonport.

It comes after a nuclear siren was sounded on Monday (4 July) causing panic among local people.

The alarm is tested every Monday at 11.30 a.m. but an unscheduled alert sounded accidentally at around 2 p.m. the same day. Residents and politicians subsequently said information about that supposed alert was sparse and they were unaware of an ‘all-clear’ signal.

In a letter to defence secretary Ben Wallace, the Labour MP for the area, Luke Pollard, said: “Can I ask that, alongside the investigation into the cause, the Naval Base commander, Babcock and MOD staff review the communications approach – to ensure that residents in Plymouth, and across the River Tamar in Cornwall, are fully informed of an all-clear in the event of any future false alarms, as well as any genuine nuclear incidents?”

He added: “Plymouth is proud to host the Royal Navy’s largest naval base but there are more concerned people in my city today [Monday] than there were yesterday. Strong public communication measures are necessary for public confidence.”

The incident adds to concerns about storing decommissioned submarines ahead of defuelling.  

The National Audit Office says the government has spent around a half-a-billion pounds storing seven retired vessels in Rosyth, near Dunfermline, and 13 in Devonport since 1980. 

Of all the vessels intended for dismantling, not one has yet been disposed of. 

But a Royal Navy spokesperson insisted there was no cause for residents to feel endangered by the possibility of nuclear leaks at the base.

“All decommissioned nuclear submarines continue to meet the highest standards of safety, security and environmental protection,” he said.

“Submarines awaiting defuelling and dismantling do not pose additional safety risk to workers or members of the public.”

He added that regular checks are in place to ensure safety.

“Decommissioned submarines are subject to regular maintenance and checks by the MOD, the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator and the Office for Nuclear Regulation, to comply with the required safety, environmental and security standards,” he said.

Nevertheless, Luke Pollard suggested communication about the false alarm should be improved. 

He said: “If the nuclear sirens go off outside the weekly test you have to assume it is real and that radiation has been released from the dockyard.

“In the event of a radiation leak every second matters and in the event of a false alarm the priority must be to let people know it was a mistake quickly. 

“Failure to communicate properly has eroded trust in the siren. That could cost lives. 

“The MOD, the Royal Navy and Babcock need to respond to this fast and with seriousness.”

In February it was revealed the first nuclear submarine in Devonport dockyard to be recycled would be HMS Valiant.