KEY POINTS

  • HMS Queen Elizabeth was commissioned by the Queen earlier this month.
  • Sea trials revealed how the ship is leaking 200 litres of seawater an hour.

The internet has reacted with hilarity after it was discovered the Royal Navy's new £3.1bn flagship aircraft carrier has developed a leak.

A faulty seal in the stern is causing the HMS Queen Elizabeth to take in 200 litres of water per hour and will now require costly repairs. The ship had been commissioned into Royal Navy by the Queen earlier this month but will be forced out of action until early next year.

"An issue with a shaft seal has been identified during HMS Queen Elizabeth's sea trials; this is scheduled for repair while she is alongside at Portsmouth," a spokesman said.

"It does not prevent her from sailing again and her sea trials programme will not be affected."

According to The Sun, a Royal Navy source said that the ship's manufacturer, the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), "mugged" them off by not mentioning the problem earlier.

"We're about to uncover the true cost of carrier ­operations. There is a feeling that the ACA mugged us off by not sorting this before the handover."

Naturally, Twitter has reacted with its trademark wit over news of the leak. Here are some of the best replies:

Twitter United Kingdom