20/04/2010
Liner Joins Navy In Stranded Britons Rescue
The first of three Royal Navy war ships has set sail to rescue Britons stranded by volcanic ash air delays.
HMS Albion came alongside at Santander today in northern Spain and started loading about 250 troops and 200 civilians to take them back to the UK, the Ministry of Defence said.
The troops, who are returning home after serving in Afghanistan, include soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, members of the RAF and medics.
HMS Albion, an amphibious landing ship based at Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth, is expected to arrive back in Portsmouth on Wednesday.
Another two Navy vessels, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and commando helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, have also been deployed to rescue stranded British travellers from the Continent.
Government officials are due to announce where they will dock later.
Meanwhile a new £500m luxury cruise ship has put its celebrations on hold to travel to Spain where it will also pick up stranded tourists.
The 122,000-tonne Celebrity Eclipse, which boasts its own grass lawn, is due to leave Southampton this evening en route to Bilbao.
The luxury vessel was to be in port before a two-day launch cruise on Thursday, but the crisis caused by the Iceland volcanic eruption changed plans.
It is thought that tour operators requested the voyage to pick up around 2,000 stranded Britons desperate to get home.
Flights into and out of the UK have been suspended since Thursday after a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Air traffic control body Nats said airspace above parts of northern England would be open from 1pm to 7pm to allow some flights.
But there will be no flights before 7pm for the rest of England.
(LB/GK)
HMS Albion came alongside at Santander today in northern Spain and started loading about 250 troops and 200 civilians to take them back to the UK, the Ministry of Defence said.
The troops, who are returning home after serving in Afghanistan, include soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, members of the RAF and medics.
HMS Albion, an amphibious landing ship based at Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth, is expected to arrive back in Portsmouth on Wednesday.
Another two Navy vessels, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and commando helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, have also been deployed to rescue stranded British travellers from the Continent.
Government officials are due to announce where they will dock later.
Meanwhile a new £500m luxury cruise ship has put its celebrations on hold to travel to Spain where it will also pick up stranded tourists.
The 122,000-tonne Celebrity Eclipse, which boasts its own grass lawn, is due to leave Southampton this evening en route to Bilbao.
The luxury vessel was to be in port before a two-day launch cruise on Thursday, but the crisis caused by the Iceland volcanic eruption changed plans.
It is thought that tour operators requested the voyage to pick up around 2,000 stranded Britons desperate to get home.
Flights into and out of the UK have been suspended since Thursday after a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Air traffic control body Nats said airspace above parts of northern England would be open from 1pm to 7pm to allow some flights.
But there will be no flights before 7pm for the rest of England.
(LB/GK)
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The former Royal Navy assault ship HMS Intrepid is expected to be recycled at a British facility, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The 12,000 tonne vessel, which is a key part of the fleet that led the campaign to retake the Falkland Islands 25 years ago, has been moored in Portsmouth harbour since she left service in 1999.
HMS Intrepid to be recycled in the UK
The former Royal Navy assault ship HMS Intrepid is expected to be recycled at a British facility, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The 12,000 tonne vessel, which is a key part of the fleet that led the campaign to retake the Falkland Islands 25 years ago, has been moored in Portsmouth harbour since she left service in 1999.
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HMS Nottingham’s officers plead guilty to charges
The Captain of HMS Nottingham and three other officers have pleaded guilty to charges relating to the grounding of the warship on rocks off Australia last year. The £300 million Royal Navy Type 42 destroyer ran aground on rocks near Lord Howe Island on July 7 last year. The repair bill is estimated to be in excess of £40 million.
HMS Nottingham’s officers plead guilty to charges
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Mountain Rescue Teams Help Stranded Motorists
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Mountain Rescue Teams Help Stranded Motorists
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