TWO members of a group advising the government on where to dismantle Britain's nuclear submarines have quit after spin doctors were appointed to replace independent academics.

Peter Lanyon, a veteran anti-nuclear campaigner, resigned from the Ministry of Defence's Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP) saying the group was being ignored.

He warned that Devonport could end up carrying out nuclear decommissioning work with reduced safety standards if deals were made in secret, and pointed to the recent inquiry into a Nimrod spy plane that exploded mid air due to poor maintenance to warn of what could happen.

Dr Jane Hunt, one of the Lancaster University team which carried out public consultations for the project, resigned from the steering committee after being sacked from the advisory group to make way for a PR company.

Dr Hunt said the advisory group appeared to exist "to add credibility to the project rather than being any genuine attempt to seek and consider advice."

In her resignation letter she said that although there had been genuine consultation originally, the MoD "has failed to implement its commitments both in relation to its responses to earlier consultation and to the advisory group, and has exhibited a growing reversion to 'decide, announce, defend'."

Mr Lanyon said: "The MoD was not listening to the group. I could not in all consciousness remain there."

He said: "The MoD increasingly wants to go back to its old ways of secrecy so it can dump these nuclear hulks where it chooses without being accountable to the public."

He said that when Dr Hunt and her colleague Dr Bill Thompson were sacked, he felt that the project's integrity had "completely disappeared."

Mr Lanyon added: "[The MoD] will continue to consult the public, it wouldn't be so stupid as to not do that, but it's now employed a public relations company that specialises in getting for its client what its client wants."

Mr Lanyon said that he feared that if the contracts for submarine dismantling were arranged without public scrutiny, safety standards could be compromised.

A MoD spokesperson said that a review of the membership of the advisory group "clearly showed duplication in the area of communications and community consultation" following the award of a contract.

She said: " As an MOD-funded body, it would be inappropriate to use taxpayers' money to fund members whose expertise is duplicated elsewhere."

South West Devon MP Gary Streeter, Conservative, said the development was "deeply troubling."

He said: "This project must be driven by science and we certainly want a full and transparent consultation.

"People are looking for scientific expertise and not more spin doctors."

Mr Streeter said the battle had already commenced between Plymouth and Rosyth over who would dismantle Britain's decommissioned submarines.

He said: "The people of Rosyth don't want it."But Plymouth Labour MP Linda Gilroy said she had not been happy with the previous standard of consultation and the move could lead to improvement.