London, Feb 21 (AP) British lawmakers are seeking reassurances about the nation's nuclear deterrent after reports that a test of the system failed dramatically last month when an unarmed missile crashed into the sea near the submarine from which it was launched.

The Sun newspaper reported on Tuesday that the incident occurred last month while Defense Secretary Grant Shapps was on board the HMS Vanguard to witness the test firing of a Trident missile designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Also Read | Another Critic on Vladimir Putin’s Hit List? Kremlin Source Urges ‘Watch Health’ of Jailed Dissident.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed that an "anomaly" occurred but said “the test reaffirmed the effectiveness of the UK's nuclear deterrent."

“As a matter of national security, we cannot provide further information on this, however, we are confident that the anomaly was event specific, and therefore there are no implications for the reliability of the wider Trident missile systems and stockpile," the ministry said.

Also Read | Philippines: 14 Killed, Three Critically As Truck Falls off Cliff in Negros Oriental Province.

“The UK's nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective,” it added.

John Healey, the opposition Labour Party's spokesman on defence issues, said reports of the test failure were “concerning.”

“The defense secretary will want to reassure Parliament that this test has no impact on the effectiveness of the UK's deterrent operations,” he said. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)