Britain agreed yesterday to delay repairs on a crippled nuclear submarine stranded in Gibraltar since May, handing at least a temporary victory to environmentalists and the Gibraltar government.
The British Ministry of Defence had planned to begin work on HMS Tireless on Monday on the leak in the cooling system of its nuclear reactor, despite local opposition. But Mr Peter Caruana, Chief Minister of the British colony, said repairs had been delayed so that local officials could assess any safety risks.
Mr Caruana's government opposes any repairs being started until a panel of experts has reviewed the military's safety report. Environmentalists claim the Tireless's shut-down nuclear reactor poses a health hazard.
"The Ministry of Defence underestimated opinion in Gibraltar, including the government's opinion," Mr Caruana said. The ministry previously refused to show the sensitive report to the independent Gibraltarian panel.