Royal Navy sailors deployed on HMS Prince of Wales arrested in Rotterdam for being drunk and disorderly
- The aircraft carrier was in Rotterdam as part of a NATO exercise
- Three British servicemen were each arrested on a separate occasion this week
Three Royal Navy sailors who were arrested for being drunk and disorderly in Rotterdam.
HMS Prince of Wales was in Rotterdam as a part of a pan-European exercise Steadfast Defender which is the biggest post Cold War wargaming exercise NATO has undertaken.
The British servicemen were each arrested on separate occasions this week. One sailor was arrested on Monday night and was tasered by local police officers after he allegedly injured two police officers.
A second sailor on the same evening from Monday to Tuesday was arrested and held by UK military police. He was charged with being drunk.
The Daily Mirror reports that he was also arrested for being in possession of a suspected 'hard drug, possibly cocaine' according to Dutch Military Police and the drugs are now being tested.
HMS Prince of Wales (centre) three British servicemen from the aircraft carrier were arrested for drunk and one sailor was tasered for allegedly injuring local police in Rotterdam (stock image)
Rotterdam's old harbour. HMS Prince of Wales was in Rotterdam as a part of a pan-European exercise Steadfast Defender which is the biggest post Cold War wargaming exercise NATO has undertaken (stock image)
Finally, on Wednesday a third crew member was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in Rotterdam city centre and for failing to produce his ID. He was released without charge and ordered to pay a fine.
All three men were in civilian clothes when they were arrested and none were officers.
A Dutch Military Police spokesman told the Daily Mirror: 'We are treating these incidents as serious because they are unusual. We will be stepping up patrols in the city, along with local civilian and Royal Navy Police from the UK to prevent further incidents.'
A Royal Navy spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are aware of alleged incidents which are under investigation. As this is an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.'
HMS Prince of Wales is amongst one of the most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK and can have a maximum crew of 1,600 when aircrafts are onboard.
The ship also has an expected service life of up to 50 years and it can move 500 miles a day.
