A nuclear submarine that underwent an £8 million refit at Faslane naval base on the Clyde was evacuated after a fire broke out.

HMS Torbay, which returned to the fleet in 2008 after spending a year being upgraded in a project that involved 400 people, was in dry dock at Devonport naval base in Plymouth for scheduled maintenance when the blaze started yesterday.

It broke out on the outer deck just below the fin, but was extinguished by a crew member before the fire service arrived. A Ministry of Defence investigation is expected to look at whether it was started accidentally by a welder.

A Royal Navy spokesman said the fire was minor and short-lived and posed no risk to life.