A Royal Navy submariner who published an online dossier of safety and security concerns about the Trident nuclear programme is thought to have handed himself in to authorities.
Able Seaman William McNeilly, 25, went absent without leave last week after producing an 18-page report containing a series of allegations about the Trident submarines based at Faslane on the Clyde.
His report alleged 30 safety and security flaws on the submarines, describing them as a “disaster waiting to happen”.
A Facebook post understood to be from Mr McNeilly’s brother stated that he had handed himself in to authorities in Scotland on Monday night.
Aaron Lewis wrote: “My brother is safe and well.” Asked where his brother is, he replied: “He handed himself in last night. Scotland at the minute.”
In his report, which was published online and also sent to newspapers and journalists, Mr McNeilly said he is an Engineering Technician Submariner who was on patrol with the Trident submarine HMS Victorious this year.
He claimed 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 alleged that alarms had been muted because they went off so often, missile safety procedures had been ignored and top-secret information was left unguarded.
Mr McNeilly, originally from Newtownabbey, County Antrim, said he raised concerns with senior officers but decided to publish his claims because they were ignored.
He wrote: “Our nuclear weapons are a target that’s wide open to attack.
“It is just a matter of time before we’re infiltrated by a psychopath or terrorist.”
A post on a Facebook profile apparently belonging to Mr McNeilly said yesterday that he would be handing himself in to the police.
He said he had “moved between countries, changed location almost every day”, but now “lacks the resources to remain undetected”.
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”.
A spokeswoman said: “The Royal Navy takes security and nuclear safety extremely seriously, and we are fully investigating both the issue of the unauthorised release of this document and its contents.
“The naval service operates its submarine fleet under the most stringent safety regime and submarines do not go to sea unless they are completely safe to do so.”