HMS Richmond arrives in Lerwick

Lerwick Harbour has welcomed a Royal Navy visitor this weekend, with the arrival 3,500-tonne Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond.

The 133-metre vessel berthed yesterday and is set to depart on Tuesday.

She left Portsmouth last week, with the crew carrying out training exercises in the North Sea.

The stop off in Lerwick gave a chance to refuel and allow the 150-strong crew some time to explore the town.

During a nine-month deployment last year the ship seized drugs worth more than £29 million and was also involved in the rescuing of about 1,000 refugees aboard boats in the Mediterranean.

Her duties include anti-piracy, anti-terrorism and targeting human trafficking.

She is one of 13 frigates in the fleet, which includes the HMS Somerset, a visitor to Shetland in June.

Commanding officer Antony Crabb joined the Royal Navy in 1995, and the same year made his first visit to Shetland aboard the  HMS Lindisfarne which was carrying out fishery protection duties.

“I was a very junior officer,” he said.

“I was out training at the time. For me to come back, bringing in my own ship is great, and to show Lerwick to my crew.

“They hear my stories of when I was here and had a good time and the can experience it.”

Commander Crabb added: “We’re going back into the North Sea and will continue our training and preparations for operations, whatever they may be.”

• For more see Friday’s Shetland Times.