HMS Argyll navy torpedo fired into Devonport wharf Published duration 14 March 2014

image copyright LA(Phot) Shaun Preston image caption Plymouth-based HMS Argyll is the longest-serving Type 23 frigate in the navy

A Royal Navy warship torpedo was accidentally fired into a dockyard wharf, it has emerged.

HMS Argyll was on a "training exercise" at Devonport dockyard in Plymouth when the torpedo "unexpectedly jettisoned onto the wharf", said the Royal Navy.

It said the Test Variant Torpedo was a dummy weapon with no explosive content, but it did cause minor damage.

image copyright LA(Phot) Dan Rosenbaum image caption A Test Variant Torpedo, like this one, became caught in fencing on the wharf after it was fired

There were no casualties involved in the incident on Wednesday, but training has been suspended.

'Avoid any repeat'

The navy said the torpedo flew "a couple of metres" through the air before becoming caught in fencing on the wharf.

No-one was on the jetty at the time of firing, the navy confirmed.

"The torpedo caused minor damage to an adjacent security fence inside the naval base where it landed," it said in a statement.

"The result of the investigation will determine what actions will be necessary to avoid any repeat of this incident in the future."

Plymouth-based HMS Argyll, which was built in the late 1980s, is the longest-serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy.

The navy's website states that following a £20m refit it is "one of the most up-to-date and capable frigates in the fleet".

Last year, it was involved in anti-drugs operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean.