A NEWPORT sailor has come home on his Royal Navy ship for the first time in his 22 years of service.

Leading Seaman, Ken Brickell, 53, known to his ship mates as Taff, returned to Newport on HMS Severn as part of the offshore patrol vessel's visit to its affiliate city.

Mr Brickell joined the Navy after leaving Hartridge High School in Newport at 16. Since then he has travelled with the navy to places as varied as Sierra Leone and the Falklands, but this is the first time in a near quarter of a century of service that he has come home to Newport with a ship.

Mr Brickell, said: "I'm from Ringland originally and live up in Llanyravon now so to come back to Newport with the ship is absolutely brilliant."

Mr Brickell's role on the ship includes maintaining and launching the two sea RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats) which are used for close approaches to other boats in their work, which includes help with search and rescue, fishery protection and preventing narcotics entering the UK.

It is a job which Mr Brickell is hugely passionate about.

"I was in the cubs, the scouts and then the sea scouts so the Navy seemed the obvious next progression.

"It's a fantastic career and a great day-to-day job. The community spirit on board is great with lots of banter especially when the rugby is on!

"You get to see the world, really I would advise anybody to take it up as a career," he said.

The ship's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Marcus Hember, was equally positive about the ship's return to Newport.

He said: "The city of Newport make us so welcome, it has been a great relationship over the last nearly 10 years. These affiliate events really are one of the highlights of the men's year."

One of the city's new SuperDragons was also taken onboard during the visit.