UK Navy Sailor Charged With Spying For Foreign Power To Appear In Court

A serving Royal Navy sailor will appear in a London court on Thursday after being charged with allegedly spying for an undisclosed foreign power and handling protected information.

Teddy Young, 24, faces two charges under the UK National Security Act over alleged offences committed between November 2024 and May 2025, London’s Metropolitan Police Service said. He is accused of preparing to disclose protected information and of obtaining, copying, recording or retaining such information for the benefit of a foreign power.

Young was arrested at his home in Bedfordshire on Tuesday and has remained in police custody. He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London.

“These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces,” Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing in London, said. She added that investigators had worked closely with the Ministry of Defence to take measures to mitigate any potential risks linked to the case.

Authorities have not identified the foreign power allegedly involved or disclosed the nature of the protected information at the centre of the investigation.

Young had previously been arrested on May 21, 2025, and was released on bail while the investigation continued. His security clearance was suspended and he was removed from his duties at the time.

The Metropolitan Police said the charges against Young are not connected to the recent security alert at RAF Fairford, a British airbase from which US bombers have launched strikes against Iran.

Three suspicious vans were found near RAF Fairford in the early hours of September 27, prompting a separate investigation that has resulted in the arrest of seven men.

The Royal Navy confirmed that a serving member had been arrested and charged but declined to provide further details while legal proceedings are underway.

“As legal proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage,” the Navy said.

Young’s case comes under Britain’s National Security Act 2023, which created new offences relating to espionage, sabotage and other activities considered harmful to UK national security.