UK Defence Ministry confirms serious nuclear incident at Faslane base

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed a “category A” nuclear safety incident occurred at the Faslane naval base in Scotland earlier this year. 

The event, recorded between January and April at HMNB Clyde on Gare Loch, is defined as having the “actual or high potential for radioactive release to the environment," Caliber.Az reports via the Telegraph. 

The revelation, first reported by the Helensburgh Advertiser, has prompted the SNP to demand urgent answers from the Labour Government over what it described as a “catalogue of failures,” including separate radioactive contamination in nearby waters.

Faslane houses all Royal Navy submarines, including the Vanguard-class fleet armed with Trident missiles. A written parliamentary answer from procurement minister Maria Eagle revealed one category A event at Faslane during the period, along with two category B, seven category C and four category D incidents. Five further events were deemed “below scale.”

Nearby Coulport, where the UK’s nuclear warheads are stored, recorded four category C and nine category D events.

Ms Eagle said she could not provide details of the incidents, citing national security concerns, but added: “None of the events listed in question 49938 caused harm to the health of any member of staff or to any member of the public and none have resulted in any radiological impact to the environment.”

Her disclosure follows confirmation last week that radioactive water had leaked into Loch Long after ageing pipes burst at Faslane and Coulport. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency found up to half the site’s components were beyond their design life.

David Cullen, of the BASIC defence think tank, criticised the lack of transparency: “The MoD is almost 10 years into a nearly £2bn infrastructure programme at Faslane and Coulport, and yet they apparently didn’t have a proper asset management system as recently as 2022.”

SNP deputy leader Keith Brown accused the Government of a cover-up: “With repeated reports of serious incidents at Faslane and now confirmed radioactive contamination in Loch Long, it’s clear these weapons are not only poorly maintained but are a direct threat to our environment, our communities, and our safety.”

An MoD spokesman insisted: “The incidents posed no risk to the public and did not result in any radiological impact to the environment. It is factually incorrect to suggest otherwise. Our Government backs our nuclear deterrent as the ultimate guarantor of our national security.”

By Sabina Mammadli