text: Gibraltar could be the new home of Britain's nuclear submarines if the SNP succeeds in ridding Scotland of Trident. Moving the nation's nuclear deterrent to the British territory  could cost £3billion and take 10 years to complete, it was reported. The SNP want to eject Trident from Scotland, but both the Conservatives and Labour have committed to retaining the base on the Clyde. Scroll down for video . Gibraltar could be the new home of Britain's nuclear submarines (one pictured) if the SNP succeeds in ridding Scotland of Trident . A senior military source told the Sunday Express that Ministry of Defence officials have sounded out Gibraltar as an alternative to the naval base on the Clyde. 'A party was sent to Gibraltar in January to determine whether the option could work. One can only assume it’s part of broader ­contingency planning,' the source said. The SNP's deputy leader Stewart Hosie has threatened to hold Westminster to ransom over Trident if the party holds the balance of power after the general election on May 7. Other options for a new home for the nuclear deterrent include Falmouth, but the potential political fall-out of moving the submarines to the Cornish coast make Gibraltar a more attractive proposal. Dr Nick Ritchie, international security lecturer at the University of York, said any move could anger Spain - who already dispute Britain's claim over Gibraltar . Moving the nation's nuclear deterrent to Gibraltar (pictured) could cost £3billion and take 10 years to complete, it was reported . He said: 'If the MoD is exploring other options, it shows admirable planning and foresight. Choosing Gibraltar would avoid the nimbyism question. Any alter­native site in England or Wales would carry political down sides. But Gibraltar has enough patriotism to overcome this. 'It would be interesting to see Spain’s reaction, ­however, since it is a non-nuclear member of Nato.' Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said it had the facilities available and had been visited by submarines from the UK and the US in the past. However, a spokesman for the MoD said: 'This is absolutely untrue and we can be very clear that the MOD is not planning to move the nuclear deterrent from HM Naval Base Clyde to Gibraltar, or anywhere else. 'The MOD is fully committed to retaining the deterrent on the Clyde and indeed we are basing all our submarines there from 2020.” The likelihood of any move is likely to be increased by a strong performance by the SNP in the election. The SNP want to eject Trident (submarine pictured) from Scotland, but both the Conservatives and Labour have committed to retaining the base on the Clyde . Ed Miliband has ruled out a formal coalition with Nicola Sturgeon's party, as well as a confidence-and-supply agreement which would see the SNP back Labour on crucial votes, such as the Budget or the Queen's Speech. He told Andrew Marr today: 'No coalition, no tie-ins, I have said no deals - I have been clear about that. I am not doing deals with the Scottish Nationalist Party.' The Conservatives have made the prospect of a Labour administration that's reliant on SNP votes one of the central planks of their election campaign in the last fortnight. Last week a Labour frontbencher expressed regret that the party cannot ‘get rid’ of Trident. Shadow Welsh secretary Owen Smith said at a hustings event on Wednesday: ‘We view the world as being a very dangerous and volatile place at the moment. So our policy is that we will retain Trident, we will maintain a continuous at-sea deterrent.’ But he added: ‘So we will pursue an independent perspective, the next Labour government, but on the issue of Trident: would but we could get rid of it but I fear that we can’t.’
target: Trident nuclear deterrent could be moved to Gibraltar, according to reports .
  SNP want to eject Trident from its current base on the Clyde in Scotland .
  Military source says the MoD have sounded out Gibraltar as an alternative .
  Nuclear submarines' move could cost £3billion and take 10 years .