Champagne time for reborn yard

The Largs Bay is one of two ships being built on the Tyne

The first ship to be built on the River Tyne for a decade has officially been named on Friday.

Lady West, wife of First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West, conducted the naming at the rejuvenated Swan Hunters shipyard, where the troop carrier Largs Bay has been built.

The 22,000-tonne vessel is one of two craft the yard is building for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in a deal worth £140m.

It has been designed to move troops, vehicles and equipment where they are needed by the three armed services.

Swan Hunter secured the contract two years' ago and work is well underway on a sister ship, the Lyme Bay.

Falkland's conflict

The superstructure of Largs Bay was built at the company's Teesside, before being brought by sea up to Tyneside.

The Largs Bay is the first ship to be launched from the Wallsend yard since the ferry Pride of the Tyne was lowered into the water by crane in 1993.

The new ships, each 16,100 tonnes, are replacements for the Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram, which both saw service during the Falkland's conflict.

Japp Kroese, chief executive of Swan Hunter, said: "This is the first naming ceremony we have had here since I came to the yard.

"But we are already working on other ships and we hope to have created 5,000 jobs at the yard within a few years."

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We are extremely happy with the way this project has been undertaken.

"Swan Hunter has put an awful lot of effort in to ensure this is not a one-off.

"They have invested in apprenticeships and they want to use those skills to win future contracts."