HMS Tireless has not moved for 10 weeks

Members of a campaign group, the Concerned Citizens Group, have been collecting signatures from people on the beaches at Gibraltar ever since.

They claim the wishes of Gibraltarians, who fear nuclear risks, are being ignored by the MoD.

The Navy, which is offering guided tours on the submarine to placate residents' fears over safety, says the radioactivity can hardly be detected on board the submarine.

The debate over where the submarine should be repaired has become a political issue of national identity, says the BBC's Brian Hanrahan.

We feel it should be repaired in a suitable environment and not 500 metres from a residential population

Janet Howitt, Concerned Citizens Group

Janet Howitt, of the campaign group, said: "We have no problems about being a colony or a supporting base for Great Britain.

"It is just this is a nuclear submarine and we feel it should be repaired in a suitable environment for nuclear submarines and not 500 metres from a residential population."

A law firm in Gibraltar has confirmed it is preparing a legal case against the MoD.