HMS Queen Elizabeth captain Nick Cooke-Priest sacked by Royal Navy for ‘misusing official car at weekends’ Nick Cooke-Priest used the official navy car to travel home and was not aware he had breached the rules

The captain of the largest ship built for the navy has been fired for misusing the warship’s official car on weekends, it has been reported.

Nick Cooke-Priest allegedly used an official HMS Queen Elizabeth vehicle to travel home and was not aware this breached the rules, according to The Sun.

A Royal Navy spokesman confirmed Captain Cooke-Priest had been “reassigned to a new role” but did not add any details.

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“We can only say that management action is ongoing and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further,” the spokesman said.

Some have accused the Navy of overreacting by sacking the captain over a minor error.

‘Error of judgment’

‘Nick adores the Navy and has lost his career by doing what captains have done for decades – using the company car to get home. An innocent mistake has cost the Navy one of its best’ Former Navy officer

According to The Sun, Commodore Cooke-Priest, who had only been in command of the powerful warship since October, was never warned against using the Ford Galaxy.

But captains are only loaned a car for official duties. It is believed an investigation found Commodore Cooke-Priest had used the Ford as if it was his own, and found him guilty of an “error of judgment”.

“Nick adores the Navy and has lost his career by doing what captains have done for decades – using the company car to get home. An innocent mistake has cost the Navy one of its best,” a former officer told the paper.

The officer said he paid for the petrol and there is no allegation of fraud.

A retired commanding officer of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier told the Press Association that without knowing the terms of the lease of the vehicle to Commodore Cooke-Priest, he felt the decision to remove him from his position was an over-reaction to a minor error.

“On the face of it it seems quite harsh but it would depend on the terms on which it was leased. A number of people in government use cars for all sorts of purposes.

“I know of him and he is seen as a fine chap, it seems somewhat harsh and smacks of political correctness,” he added.

Joined Navy in 1990

Commodore Cooke-Priest joined the Navy in 1990 and has had a sucessful career.

After specialising as a Lynx helicopter observer, he was promoted to Commander in 2009 and escorted the Queen during a royal tour on HMS Kent the same year.

On HMS Iron Duke, he was deployed to the Arabian Gulf and in 2011 to Libya as part of Operation Ellamy.

He also assumed command of HMS Bulwark, the Fleet Flag Ship, in January 2015 and led the UK’s contribution to the Gallipoli centenary commemorations in the same year.

At 280-metres and weighing 65,000-tonnes, HMS Queen Elizabeth is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft.

Additional reporting by PA