Royal Navy nuclear submarine runs aground off Skye

The Royal Navy suffered embarrassment yesterday when a nuclear submarine ran aground in an incident that could have had "potentially disastrous consequences".

The Ministry of Defence said two crew members on board the 4,750 ton HMS Trafalgar sustained minor injuries during the incident. One had a broken nose, while the other strained his back.

The submarine, which was involved in the first wave of attacks against Afghanistan in October, had run into trouble during a joint maritime training exercise on the north-west coast of the Isle of Skye. "There is no damage to the pressure hull and a core integrity assessment of the nuclear reactor has been conducted. There is no risk to the public or crew," a spokesman said.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, who is also the local MP, said: "The first reaction to this news must be one of relief that no hull breach or damage to the nuclear reactor has occurred, and no lives have been lost.

"But when a nuclear submarine is involved in an incident of this nature, with the potential for disastrous consequences, it is essential that a full investigation is undertaken, the conclusions of which must be made public ... I have discussed the matter this evening with the Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, and he has promised to keep me fully informed of the situation."

HMS Trafalgar is one of 12 nuclear-powered attack subs. With a crew of 130 on board, the main role of the "hunter-killer" subs is to seek out and destroy ships or other submarines.

Jane Tallants, vice-chairwoman of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), said: "It is very worrying that these submarines, which are supposedly precision machines, couldn't miss something the size of Skye."

Carol Naughton, chairwoman of the CND, said: "We are calling for an independent assessment of this accident. We are sceptical of immediate reassurances from the Royal Navy."

Last night the submarine – travelling under her own power but escorted by a Royal Navy warship – was heading back to Faslane naval base on the Clyde for the damage to be assessed.

An MoD spokesman said: "An investigation into this incident is under way. Until the findings of that investigation are known it is unhelpful to speculate on the circumstances."