ANTI-NUCLEAR local authorities slammed yesterday a five-month British government delay in revealing an incident involving a nuclear submarine off the coast of Northern Ireland, writes Peter Lazenby.

The submarine became entangled in the nets of the Ardglass-based trawler MV Karen in April this year.

The trawler was dragged backwards, forcing its crew to cut the nets to free the vessel.

But details of the incident were not announced by the Ministry of Defence until this month.

The British and Irish Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) condemned the delay.

“I am shocked that it has taken the MoD so long to come clean and admit that a British submarine was involved in an incident that could have led to the sinking of the MV Karen,” said NFLA All Ireland co-chair Councillor Michael Carr.

He said that fishing in the Irish Sea and North Atlantic was already dangerous enough.