Navy minesweeper back at home port after very successful NATO deployment

A Royal Navy minesweeper has returned to her home port after a very successful'' three-month deployment with Nato, operating mostly in the Baltic.

For the first time, families and friends joined their loved ones on board HMS Shoreham for the last stage of the journey as she sailed into her home port of HM Naval Base Clyde on Thursday.

Around 80 family and friends joined the crew on board the mine hunter at Greenock to sail across to Faslane where a few more family members stood at the dockside to welcome them home as a lone piper played.

The ship was deployed for three months as a very high readiness ship'' at 24 hours' notice to respond to Nato, as part of a Standing Nato Force.

Captain Edward Ahlgren OBE, Captain of the Faslane Flotilla (FASFLOT), was also at the dockside to welcome the ship and her crew.

He said: We are delighted to welcome home HMS Shoreham after a very successful three-month deployment with Nato. They have delivered beyond expectation and they return to their families to enjoy some well-deserved leave prior to preparing for operations again.

The Mine Counter Measures fleet are a vital arm of the Royal Navy and make a significant contribution to defence as a whole and we are immensely proud of them.''

The ship carried out historical ordnance disposal around the Baltic Sea with successful visits to Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Poland, then took part in Exercise BALTOPS 17, the largest exercise in the Baltic.

Before returning to Faslane the ship stopped at Shoreham-by-Sea for a hometown visit.

Commander Ben Evans, the commanding officer of HMS Shoreham said: It is wonderful to be back in Faslane after a successful deployment with Nato.

The ship's company are looking forward to some well-deserved leave, hopefully coming back refreshed and ready to conduct training later in the year.'