Hard-up Navy orders ships returning to port to cut speed by half to save fuel

Frustrated sailors who have been away from their families for months say they are often taking days longer to get back to the UK because of the cost-cutting practice.

And if ships arrive back in Britain in the evening, they can be forced to moor offshore overnight before entering port because the Ministry of Defence cannot afford to pay overtime to dock workers.

A former Royal Navy weapons engineer who left the service less than six months ago said: "Coming back off trips away, you'd do 18 or 20 knots, but it's not unheard of to do 12 because we have to save fuel.

"It can add days on to your trip away, and that's important when you've been away for many months.

"There's nothing worse than coming back across the Atlantic, bobbing around and knowing you could have been home a week earlier.

"You just get very frustrated and very annoyed when you try to explain to your children why Daddy's not coming home for another night."

Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram said he would ask the MoD to investigate the claims.

He added: "That should not be acceptable."

An MoD spokesman said ships returning from overseas duty travelled at about 14 knots to conserve fuel and prevent the need for too frequent refuelling.

He added: "Occasionally vessels may be asked to delay their arrival to coincide with core working hours or when jetty crews are already in support of other vessel movements, to maximise the effective running of the base."

Mike Hancock, Liberal Democrat MP for Portsmouth South and a member of the Defence Select Committee, believes the Navy is being forced to pay the price for Britain's heavy commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He said: "There isn't a Naval officer serving now who does not foresee major problems unless the Brown Government changes its priorities in the way in which we as a nation want to deploy our forces."

He also suggested that the 15 sailors and Marines from HMS Cornwall taken hostage by Iranian troops in March would have been safe if their backup Lynx helicopter had not returned to the frigate as soon as they had boarded the Iraqi merchant vessel they were investigating.

Mr Hancock said: "I've been told that there is a restriction on fuel – it's 'use as little as you can and get back to the ship as soon as possible'."