A DUP politician has offered the use of the "loughs and ports" of Northern Ireland to house the controversial Trident nuclear weapons programme.

DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson told the British Prime Minister yesterday in the House of Commons that in the event the Scottish National Party were to decide to eject the Trident programme – which includes four nuclear submarines – from Scotland, then the “lots of loughs and lots of ports” in Northern Ireland could make a suitable home.

Following comments from SNP Moray MP Angus Robertson that most in Scotland were opposed to the housing of Trident in their country, Mr Donaldson made his offer.

Mr Donaldson said: “With support for the Union in Northern Ireland growing ever stronger, may I help to assuage the concerns of the Right Honourable Member for Moray by saying that we have lots of loughs and lots of ports, and that if the Government ever need a new home for Trident, Ulster is there.”

Trident is currently housed in a base in the Firth of Clyde, in Scotland.

The comments have already met with strong opposition, with Green Party in northern Ireland MP Steven Agnew saying Donaldson’s comments were “arrogant.”

“I think it is ridiculous that Jeffrey Donaldson is making such a statement, particularly given the fact there has been no public consultation on the matter,” he said, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

“To make such a bold statement on behalf of Northern Ireland on an issue on which there has never been any consultation or public debate is arrogant. No political party is in a position to do that.”