Sir Keir Starmer has boarded a nuclear-armed submarine as it returned from a lengthy patrol – in a rare showcasing of the UK’s deterrent that will catch Russia’s attention at a time of growing tensions.

While being reminded about British nuclear strength though, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also doubtless take note of a potential weakness.

HMS Vanguard was kept patrolling at sea for more than 200 days – one of the longest-ever deployments that will likely have put a huge strain on the submariners and the vessel – as issues with maintaining the ageing fleet make it harder to rotate the boats more quickly.

The Royal Navy must keep one nuclear-armed submarine at sea at all times.

The so-called “continuous at-sea deterrence” is the cornerstone of UK defence strategy and the ultimate guarantor of the nation’s security.

It is the first time a prime minister has visited one of the Royal Navy’s four top-secret nuclear-armed submarines as it returned from a deterrent patrol – a moment known as “Day Zero” – in more than a decade.

The last time this happened was with David Cameron in 2013.

Video released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) showed Sir Keir, eyes pressed to pair of binoculars, and Defence Secretary John Healey sailing out to greet the ageing submarine – which had surfaced – as it re-entered UK waters off Scotland earlier in the week following what was reported to have been a 204-day patrol.

The MoD declined to confirm the length of time the boat had been at sea. The longest known deployment – of 207 days – was carried out in 2021 by HMS Victorious.

Patrols by one of the UK’s nuclear-armed submarines – which used to last three months – have had to be extended in recent years because of prolonged periods of maintenance and repair work on the other boats.

The fleet is operating well beyond its original in-service life of 25 years because of delays in the building of four replacement boats.

In a show of support for what is known as the “silent service”, the prime minister, dressed in a Royal Navy-style coat, could be seen in the footage stepping onto the topside of HMS Vanguard as it bobbed in the water.

He was joined by Mr Healey as a line of submariners stood to attention, before they both clambered down a hatch into the vessel.

The two men, followed by Admiral Sir Ben Key, the head of the Royal Navy, walked around inside the submarine and received what was described as a “hot” brief on the deployment.

The official release of any information about the UK’s nuclear deterrent is extremely rare.

Filming of any of the boats is also highly unusual and strictly controlled.

Britain’s enemies will likely be scouring the images that were made public for any clues that might reveal any information about the military’s most potent weapon and the ultimate guarantor of UK security. All audio was removed before release for security reasons.

The decision to publish details and images about the visit appears designed to send a signal to Moscow that the UK remains a nuclear-armed power.

It came as the prime minister and defence secretary prepared to visit a sprawling BAE Systems manufacturing site in Barrow, a port town in Cumbria, where the new generation of nuclear-armed submarines is finally being built to replace the Vanguard-class vessels.

The whole programme to renew the UK’s nuclear deterrent – the submarines, missiles and warheads – is expected to cost more than £30bn, with an additional contingency of £10bn – making it the UK’s most expensive and important procurement programme.

Sir Keir described Barrow as a “blueprint” for how defence spending can bolster security and boost economic growth by generating highly skilled jobs and opportunities.

“This week, I saw first-hand the sacrifice our submariners are making every day to keep our country safe, but I know they are only able to do that because of the support of the town of Barrow,” he said, in remarks released in advance by the government.

“Each and every person living and working in Barrow is contributing to our nation’s defence, whether that is building our world-class submarine programme, or supporting the workforce here through vital public services or proud family businesses.”

In a sign of the importance of the programme, the prime minister will lay the keel to the first Dreadnought-class boat on Thursday afternoon.

In addition, the King has agreed to give the “Royal” title to the Port of Barrow “in recognition of the town’s unique and critical contribution to national security”, the government said.

The Royal Navy has maintained one of four submarines loaded with nuclear-armed missiles permanently at sea since the first patrol was launched in 1969.

But the age of the current fleet and increased requirement for repair work raise the risk of failure. Any break in the continuous at sea deterrence would be a devastating blow, undermining the UK’s ability to deter the most existential of threats.

As well as visiting HMS Vanguard earlier in the week, the prime minister and defence secretary also spoke with family members of the submariners who have been at sea for more than half a year. Four crew members returned to meet newborn babies.

Teenage boys in the UK are being blackmailed by Nigerian crime gangs that pose as young women online – with the National Crime Agency offering advice on what victims should do.

NCA officials said boys as young as 14 have been targeted with “sextortion” scams on social networks including Snapchat and Instagram.

Criminals trick them into sending sexual images – and then threaten to share the pictures with their family, friends and school unless they pay about £100.

While most victims of child sexual exploitation are female, the NCA said 90% of online sextortion victims are boys aged 14 to 17.

In some cases, those affected have taken their own lives out of fear the images will be shared.

Marie Smith, a senior manager at the NCA’s child exploitation and online protection command, called the abuse “extremely disturbing”.

As part of an NCA awareness campaign, she urged victims: “Do not pay – stay calm. We can help. If you pay once, they will just demand more.”

Sextortion ‘unimaginably cruel’

Most of the offences are committed by people from West African countries, including Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.

“Nothing is off the cards and we hope to hold these criminals accountable,” Ms Smith said.

NCA director of threat leadership Alex Murray said: “Sextortion is unimaginably cruel and can have devastating consequences for victims.

“This campaign will help empower young boys, giving them the knowledge to spot the dangers posed by this crime type and how to report it.

“It supports them to understand that if it does happen, it is never their fault. It will also take the advantage away from the criminals responsible, whose only motivation is financial gain.

“Sadly, teenagers in the UK and around the world have taken their own lives because of ‘sextortion’, which has been a major factor behind launching this campaign.”

Read more:
Investigation under way after girl, 8, targeted in sextortion plot
How parents and teenagers can tackle ‘sextortion’

Last year alone, the NCA’s CEOP safety centre received 380 sextortion reports. In the first five months of 2024, UK police forces recorded an average of 117 monthly reports involving under-18s.

And in the US, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 28,000 sextortion reports globally in 2024 – up from 26,718 the previous year.

Cat cafes across the UK should be “phased out”, leading animal welfare charities have said.

The RSPCA and Cats Protection have called for the move following a surge in these businesses, which allow customers to interact with cats and even adopt them.

The charities say that the cafe environment makes it “almost impossible” to meet the welfare needs of the cats, as they may be stressed by forced proximity to other animals and strangers.

RSPCA cat welfare expert Alice Potter said: “While cats, cake and coffee might be a happy combination for people, for the cats living 24/7 in these cafes it’s likely to be a very different story.

“We don’t believe these environments can consistently provide cats with a good quality of life and are hugely concerned that many cats will be unhappy as a result.”

Ms Potter added: “Generally cats are not sociable, and many felines often prefer to live without other cats, or prefer to form social groups with their relations.”

There are currently more than 30 cat cafes licensed in England – with about 44% of those licences issued in the past financial year.

Both charities believe that many more cat cafes may be operating without oversight or regulation due to unclear legislation.

Cat cafes inspected by local authorities are licensed under rules concerning the keeping or training of animals for exhibition.

The RSPCA and Cats Protection says refusing to issue new licences – and not renewing old ones – would ensure these cafes are gradually phased out.

Ms Potter said: “Cats in cat cafes are essentially being used for entertainment – and are often licensed as such – so we are concerned that they are paying the price for this by having a poor quality of life.”

Daniel Warren-Cummings, central behaviour officer for charity Cats Protection has said that cats often “hide the signs” of stress.

He said: “Some cats adopt a strategy of feigning sleep when they are stressed, leading consumers to mistakenly assume they are simply resting.”

However, others feel that the cafes should not be phased out entirely, and would benefit from stricter monitoring.

Lauren Pears, owner of Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in east London, said: “Some things I would look for in a reputable cat cafe include age limits, restrictions on capacity and dedicated cat care staff.

“Observing how the industry has grown over the years, I feel that entrepreneurs wishing to open a cat cafe should be required to hold or acquire animal husbandry qualifications in order to open a business like this to ensure they understand the welfare implications of their decisions.

“I welcome regulation and scrutiny of the industry.”