British Navy captain relieved of command after 'mutiny': report
LONDON (AFP) - The captain of a British Royal Navy warship returning from service in Iraq has been relieved of his post after a near-mutiny by crew members, a report said.
Commander David Axon was ordered to leave frigate HMS Somerset at Gibraltar, the British port territory on the southern tip of Spain, as the vessel was returning home from the Gulf, the Sun newspaper said in its Tuesday edition.
The move by Navy commanders happened after junior officers complained about Axon's regime on the ship, which the Sun said included allegations of bullying and intimidation.
Although the Type 23 frigate was only a few days' sailing from home, it was decided that there was sufficient risk of mutiny that the captain should be removed.
Axon was accused of a brutal management style in which he ridiculed and belittled more junior officers, the newspaper said.
A Navy spokesman told the newspaper that the captain had left the ship.
"There were allegations that Commander Axon's behaviour fell below the standards required. These relate to equal opportunities matters," the spokesman was quoted as saying, without giving further details.
The Somerset, which has a crew of 185, has just completed a six-month mission protecting Iraq's oil infrastructure from attack by insurgents, the Sun added.
LONDON (AFP) - The captain of a British Royal Navy warship returning from service in Iraq has been relieved of his post after a near-mutiny by crew members, a report said.
Commander David Axon was ordered to leave frigate HMS Somerset at Gibraltar, the British port territory on the southern tip of Spain, as the vessel was returning home from the Gulf, the Sun newspaper said in its Tuesday edition.
The move by Navy commanders happened after junior officers complained about Axon's regime on the ship, which the Sun said included allegations of bullying and intimidation.
Although the Type 23 frigate was only a few days' sailing from home, it was decided that there was sufficient risk of mutiny that the captain should be removed.
Axon was accused of a brutal management style in which he ridiculed and belittled more junior officers, the newspaper said.
A Navy spokesman told the newspaper that the captain had left the ship.
"There were allegations that Commander Axon's behaviour fell below the standards required. These relate to equal opportunities matters," the spokesman was quoted as saying, without giving further details.
The Somerset, which has a crew of 185, has just completed a six-month mission protecting Iraq's oil infrastructure from attack by insurgents, the Sun added.