New £3.1bn carrier Queen Elizabeth has sprung a leak

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s new £3.1billion aircraft carrier, is leaking, it has been reported.

The warship was accepted into the fleet by the Queen earlier this month. At 918ft long and with an estimated 50-year working life, the behemoth is the biggest and most powerful ever built by the UK.

It is understood the 65,000-ton vessel has been leaking for some time and is letting in 200 litres of water every hour, according to The Sun.

A Navy spokesman said: “An issue with a shaft seal has been identified during sea trials; this is scheduled for repair while she is alongside at Portsmouth. It does not prevent her from sailing again and her sea trials programme will not be affected.”