Thousands protest over stranded UK sub

MADRID, Spain -- Thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday calling for the removal of the British nuclear-powered submarine, stranded in neighbouring Gibraltar.

National police said the protest in La Linea numbered some 2,500 while the organisers estimated 15,000.

It was the latest in a string of protests against the submarine HMS Tireless which limped into Gibraltar after the cooling system in its reactor sprang a leak in May.

Local people fear contamination from the submarine and have been campaigning for it to be transported back to Britain for repair.

But British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that such an operation would be far too complex and that the sub would have to be repaired in Gibraltar.

Britain's entire fleet of 12 nuclear-powered submarines equipped with conventional weapons was recalled in October following the discovery of the fault.

The presence of the crippled submarine has exacerbated the dispute over the British colony, a rocky outcrop guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean whose return Spain has claimed for many years.

Earlier this month, the European Commission asked Britain for information on the Tireless which the London government has repeatedly said does not pose a safety risk.

After prolonged negotiations Spanish technicians were allowed to inspect the vessel at the start of November but were not allowed to check the damaged area.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Royal Navy

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