Engineering news
Security and safety concerns around the UK's nuclear deterrent are being investigated after a series of claims from a Royal Navy submariner were posted online.
Able Seaman William McNeilly, who says in the internet post he is an engineering technician submariner, raised his concerns in a report posted on the Wikileaks website this weekend.
In the post he says he was on patrol with the Trident submarine HMS Victorious this year. He describes the Trident submarine programme, as a "disaster waiting to happen".
His 18 page report alleges 30 safety and security flaws on the submarines. He claims there are fire risks and leaks on board and that security checks are rarely carried out on personnel and contractors working on the submarines when they are docked at Faslane.
He also alleges that alarms have been muted because they went off so often, missile safety procedures have been ignored and top secret information was left unguarded.
McNeilly, originally from Newtownabbey, County Antrim, says he raised concerns with senior officers but decided to publish his claims as they were ignored.
He wrote: "It is just a matter of time before we're infiltrated by a psychopath or terrorist.
"We are so close to a nuclear disaster it is shocking, and yet everybody is accepting the risk to the public."
The Royal Navy said the Trident submarine fleet operated "under the most stringent safety regime".
The Navy said many of the claims are ''subjective and unsubstantiated personal views, made by a very junior sailor, with which the naval service completely disagrees''.
It added: "We take security and nuclear safety extremely seriously and we are fully investigating both the issue of the unauthorised release of this document and its contents.
McNeilly has said he will hand himself over to the authorities. Speaking to the BBC, he said: "I'm not hiding from arrest; I will be back in the UK in the next few days and I will hand myself in to the police.
"Prison - such a nice reward for sacrificing everything to warn the public and government.
"Unfortunately that's the world we live in. I know it's a lot to sacrifice and it is a hard road to walk down, but other people need to start coming forward."