CRITICISM of Prime Minister Theresa May following reports of a misfired Trident missile has brought back memories of a long-forgotten incident at New Quay when a rocket fired from a naval warship went off course and ploughed into a field near houses.

And it emerged last week that the episode led to a cover-up as Navy chiefs responsible for the 1,370mph surface-to-air missile deemed it not important enough to tell the-then Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

The Seaslug, designed as a defensive weapon against Russian bombers, fell on New Quay after a routine test went wrong, former head of the Navy Lord West revealed.

He was giving evidence to the Commons Defence Committee about last year’s botched Trident missile test when MPs asked him about alerting the Prime Minister to the failed weapons trial.

The ex-First Sea Lord, who was a Security Minister for three years, said he had been involved in practice missions that went wrong.

“Years ago we had an aircraft missile called the Seaslug and we fired one in to Wales,” he said.

“Those sort of things happen, but you don’t go and talk to the Prime Minister about that - unless their constituency happens to be there.”

It is thought that he was referring to a hushed-up incident that occurred on 30 April 1958 when a test Sea Slug was fired from HMS Girdle Ness in Cardigan Bay.

It is understood the rocket reached an altitude of 17,000 feet before part of it was detonated in mid-air, causing it to plunge to earth at New Quay instead of hitting the target drone aircraft.

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