UK Navy Whistleblower to Turn Himself In After Trident Nuclear Safety Leak

Engineering technician William McNeilly published an 18-page report about safety irregularities that allegedly left the UK nuclear submarine fleet open to terrorist attacks.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — An on-the-run British engineer on Monday defended his decision to blow the whistle on security failings in the UK Trident nuclear deterrent program and vowed to hand himself in soon, according to the BBC.

Speaking to the British outlet, William McNeilly denied evading arrest after he posted an 18-page report on the Internet about safety irregularities that allegedly left the UK nuclear submarine fleet open to terrorist attacks.

McNeilly, who is an engineering technician at Scotland's Faslane naval base in Clyde, 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."

The 25-year-old has been sought by authorities after failing to report for work at the base last week. He vanished after the Royal Navy launched an official investigation into the disclosure.

In his dossier, the engineer described the overall state of the Trident nuclear deterrent as a "disaster waiting to happen." He said the Navy was so desperate to hire new staff that it failed to properly screen them, meaning it was "a matter of time before we're infiltrated by a psychopath or a terrorist."

The United Kingdom currently operates four Trident-equipped submarines out of Scotland, the only facility able to accommodate the country's nuclear deterrent.

Renewal of the nuclear system was a hotly-debated issue in the run up to the country's general elections on May 7. The Conservative Party, which won a parliamentary majority, advocated for a renewal of Trident.