(7th May 2000)
Tireless Leaves Gibraltar
The Trafalgar Class SSN HMS Tireless (S117) finally left Gibraltar this morning, almost a year after she first arrived. The departure of the nuclear powered fleet submarine, accompanied by police patrol vessels and two tugs, was watched by environmental protesters, sailors and sightseers.
Tireless' reactor was restarted on Thursday 3rd May and since then she has undergone trials in preparation for her departure today. Although the Ministry of Defence (MOD) have refused to say where Tireless is heading, she is expected to return to the United Kingdom.
In May 2000 Tireless was forced to abandon a Mediterranean exercise when a 2-mm crack was detected in one of her coolant pipes. Her subsequent arrival at Gibraltar caused much anger among citizens of both the British colony and southern Spain and strained Anglo-Spanish relations.