A serving member of the Royal Navy has been charged with spying for an unnamed foreign power, London's Metropolitan Police said, in a case due before a Westminster court on Thursday.
Teddy Young, 24, of Bedfordshire, was arrested at his home on Tuesday and has been charged under the National Security Act with offenses including obtaining protected information intended to benefit a foreign power, counter-terrorism police said. He has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
Prosecutors allege that, between 26 November 2024 and 21 May 2025, Young acted in preparation for committing an offence of disclosing protected information and separately obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information while knowing or having reason to believe the material could be prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom. Police have not named the foreign country he is accused of working for, and the Royal Navy has not disclosed his rank or role.
These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces.
Cdr Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter-Terrorism Policing London
Flanagan said investigators had "worked extremely closely with relevant operational colleagues within the Ministry of Defence" throughout the inquiry to ensure appropriate measures could be taken to mitigate any potential risks linked to the matter. A Royal Navy spokesperson confirmed a service member had been charged but said it would be "inappropriate to comment further" while legal proceedings are ongoing.
Police stressed that Young's case is unconnected to a separate, ongoing investigation into suspicious activity reported near RAF Fairford, in which a seventh man was arrested on Tuesday; that inquiry continues in parallel and has not resulted in any charges so far.
The National Security Act 2023 overhauled Britain's espionage laws, creating broader offences covering the handling of sensitive state material on behalf of a foreign power and replacing parts of the century-old Official Secrets Act. Young's case is the latest in a string of prosecutions under the new law to touch Britain's armed forces this year, part of what officials have described as an intensifying effort by hostile states to recruit serving personnel and gain access to sensitive military material. No plea has yet been entered, and the case now moves to the magistrates' court for an initial hearing before any decision on whether it is sent to a higher court.
