SUB’S SKIPPER ‘AXED OVER ONBOARD RELATIONSHIP’
Captain relieved of duty as MoD probes inappropriate conduct with woman officer
A NUCLEAR submarine captain has been relieved of duty amid claims two officers had a relationship.
The MoD said of the “inappropriate” conduct: “An investigating is under way.”
MILITARY chiefs are said to have been dispatched to a nuclear submarine to deal with claims there was an “inappropriate relationship“between two naval crew.
The captain of the vessel has been relieved of his duties as top brass probe the allegations.
An MoD spokeswoman would not confirm the relationship between a male and female officer but said: “An investigation is under way. It would be inappropriate to say anything further.”
And a senior ministry source added the incident was a “duty of care” issue.
The Mirror knows the identity of the captain of the Vanguard-class submarine, which carries Trident missiles, but we have chosen not to disclose it.
It is believed he could be stripped of his command. When asked to comment on the claims, he replied: “I’ve not got anything to say at the moment.”
There is no suggestion the female officer has been suspended or committed any wrongdoing.
Intimate relationships of any kind on a warship or a submarine are against Royal Navy rules.
It is though senior naval officers have been sent to the vessel in international waters to sort out the incident.
And it is believed other crew were ordered to delete their social media accounts in a bid to stop information about the allegations being leaked.
The captain, along with his second in command, are the only officers on board the sub with access to a grey safe which contains a “letter of last resort” from the PM containing guidance and orders to be followed should the UK be attacked with nuclear weapons.
In 2014, Sarah West – the Navy’s first female warship captain – was released from her command of frigate HMS Portland over an affair with a married officer. Both parties denied the claims during the investigation. Figures released by the MoD in January revealed 57 serving submarine crew members faced claims of disobeying orders, assault, drink, drug and sex offences while with the nuclear fleet in the space of a year. Among them was an able rating first class who was charged with “other sexual offences not specified”. Females were banned from serving on submarines until the rules changed in 2011. Three female lieutenants became the first in the fleet’s 113-year-old history to join, in 2014.