Revealed, the Navy girl in a fling with No2
THE identity of the female Navy officer in her 20s at the centre of a nuclear submarine sex scandal can be revealed today.
Lieutenant Hannah Litchfield, 27, an engineering officer on HMS Vigilant, is believed to have had an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with the boat’s second-in-command.
Married Lieutenant Commander Michael Seal, 36, was last month hauled off the Vanguard- class submarine, which carries Trident missiles, amid accusations he was having a liaison with a subordinate.
He was removed from the boat after it docked in the US just days after the captain was taken off amid claims he too was in a relationship with a female junior officer.
The captain and second-incommand are the only officers to have their own rooms.
As the more senior officers, the men are expected to face a greater punishment than the women should they be found to have breached the Navy’s social conduct regulations.
Relationships within the chain of command are banned and where relationships exist in a crew but outside the command chain a strict ‘no touching’ policy is in place.
Both women were quizzed about the allegations after a
‘Taken very seriously’
whistleblower at the vessel’s Faslane base reported concerns about two affairs. The men were taken off the boat and relieved of their duties while the investigation is ongoing.
The women were able to continue their work while the investigation is carried out, although they are no longer on the boat because they were due to finish the deployment anyway.
Father- of- two Lieutenant Commander Seal is married to Jennifer, 36, who lives at their family home in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: ‘We can confirm an investigation is underway, but it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
‘Any allegations of wrongdoing are taken very seriously and will be dealt with appropriately.’