Tourists drive into heart of nuclear base after taking wrong turning

Four elderly tourists from Ireland drove into the middle of the secret nuclear submarine base at Faslane. They had taken the wrong turning off the A814 near Garelochead. They drove through the South gate, which is surrounded by high fences, TV cameras, dogs, razor wire and armed policemen. The guard on the gate just waved them through.

Eventually they stopped and the driver in a broad Irish accent asked an armed MoD Policeman - "Could you tell me if this is the road to Arrochar ?".

A guard at the base has been suspended as a result of this incident.

It is hard to believe how anyone could accidentally drive into the heavily fortified base. But the main road to Arrochar at this point is infact a bypass. The original road which the tourists were following runs through the middle of the base.

An MoD spokesman said "I can confirm there was a breach of security on the evening of November 7. A number of elderly people who did not have passes managed to gain entry in a car. It seems they were just tourists who lost their way."

This story was reported in the Sunday Mail on 19 November.