HMS Queen Elizabeth

Cooke-Priest absent as HMS Queen Elizabeth sails to England

sails under the Forth Bridge after routine maintenance work was completed at Rosyth dockyard. Picture: Kenny Smith.

The captain of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was not allowed to return to Portsmouth on board the ship, although he technically remains in command.

The carrier left the Babcock yard at Rosyth after a six-week maintenance period.

The Royal Navy said the decision surrounding Commodore Nick Cooke-Priest has been taken as “a precautionary measure”.

The move comes days after it emerged that he was being reassigned after he had used a Royal Naval car for personal journeys.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: “In light of the ongoing investigation, as a precautionary measure to protect both the individual and the Ship’s Company, the Royal Navy has decided that Captain Nick Cooke-Priest will not be at sea in HMS Queen Elizabeth.”

It is understood he remains in official command and will formally hand over to the new captain on May 28, as planned.

Suitably qualified personnel are understood to be on board for the passage south.

The 65,000-tonne warship is returning to Portsmouth after spending the last six weeks in dry dock at Rosyth in Fife, where it was originally built, to undergo a hull inspection and routine maintenance.

Work carried out during the ship’s time out of the water included replacing 284 hull valves, removing and cleaning both rudder blades and applying a fresh coat of anti-foul paint to the ship’s bottom.

Successful completion of the work means HMS Queen Elizabeth should not need to dock down again for another six years, the Navy said.

The carrier will go on to conduct a period of sea trials and training before a planned deployment to the east coast of the United States later in the year.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, are the largest and most advanced warships ever built for the Royal Navy, the former due to enter naval service in 2020.

Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman said: “The turnaround achieved by the 100-strong team at the dockyard in Rosyth is incredible and to see the carrier leaving its dock once again was an incredible sight.

“This shows the talent and skill we have and should encourage the UK Government to secure a future for the employees there once the HMS Prince of Wales project comes to an end.”

The aircraft carrier successfully departed the yard at Rosyth during a precise operation at high tide earlier this week, before making its way south yesterday.

Sean Donaldson, managing director of energy and marine at Babcock in Rosyth, said: “Seeing the two carriers back on site together was quite a moment for our workforce, we have a real affinity with these vessels and this is a fantastic achievement for everyone who played a part in this important work.”