Astute's commander admits he is 'getting too old for the job'

THE commander of HMS Astute has admitted having previous "close shaves" and sailing the submarine in bad weather against advice, it was reported yesterday.

Andy Coles, 47, who is known as Stumpy because he lost a finger as a child, also said he was getting too old for the job.

Commander Coles is a highly respected submariner who was made an OBE in 2005, two years after bombarding Iraq with cruise missiles from HMS Turbulent during the Iraq war.

However, interviewed this summer, he admitted sailing Astute from the yard in Barrow-in-Furness where it was built in a storm against advice.

He said: "We left in the teeth of a force eight gale with the rain lashing in. We were advised not to sail, but we still went and I'm glad we did. If ever we needed a test, going out into that was it."

Cdr Coles also admitted his first dive in Astute was flawed because he had used a technique perfected in HMS Turbulent, which is of a different design. Because Astute's hull has a different shape, its bow became positioned at an odd angle.

Cdr Coles said Astute's advanced technology meant minor errors became common knowledge among crew because the vessel's manoeuvres were displayed on high-definition screens. He said: "In the old days, you could spin round, see you'd had a close shave and think to yourself, 'I've got away with it'. Now everyone knows. When I leave (Astute] next May I probably won't go to sea in a submarine again. I'm 47 now and it's time for someone younger."