A Plaid Cymru peer sparked controversy yesterday by comparing jobs on Trident atomic missiles to those created by Auschwitz — a day after Holocaust Memorial Day.

Dafydd Wigley’s comments, made on Radio 4 in response to reports that Trident could be relocated to Wales, were labelled “crass” and “offensive.”

Asked whether the mooted move would bring a jobs boost, he replied: “No doubt there were many jobs provided in Auschwitz and places like that but that didn’t justify their existence and neither do nuclear weapons justify having them in Pembrokeshire.”