Royal Navy serviceman charged with spying to benefit foreign power

A serving member of the Royal Navy has been charged with spying, police have said.

Teddy Young, 24, will appear today at Westminster magistrates’ court after he was charged with obtaining protected information which could benefit a unnamed foreign power.

He was arrested at his home in Bedfordshire on 6 October after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London (CTPL).

He has now been charged with a number of offences under Britain’s National Security Act, the Metropolitan police said on Thursday.

The alleged offences took place between 26 November 2024 and 21 May last year.

Cmdr Helen Flanagan, the head of CTPL, said: “These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces. We have worked extremely closely with relevant operational colleagues within the Ministry of Defence as our investigation has progressed to ensure appropriate measures could be taken to mitigate any potential risks linked to this matter.”

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised the charges on Wednesday. They allege that, between 26 November 2024 and 21 May 2025, Young engaged in conduct in preparation for committing an offence of disclosing protected information.

It was also alleged that, between 26 November 2024 and 21 May 2025, he obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information, intending the conduct to benefit a foreign power.

The arrest and charges are not connected to the recent investigation into the incident at RAF Fairford.