Two injured in fire on navy ship

HMS Echo has been towed into its Devonport base

A sailor and a visitor have been injured in a fire on survey ship HMS Echo off the South West coast.

The pair, who have not been identified, were airlifted to hospital in Plymouth after the fire off Rame Head on Friday.

The ship lost power after the fire in an electrical switchboard and has been towed to its base at Devonport.

The sailor's condition is not life- threatening said the navy. The condition of the other person, thought to be a contractor, is not known.

HMS Echo had been on its way to Falmouth for routine maintenance.

It recently returned to Plymouth after a year-long deployment around the Arabian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

The ship has a crew of 72 and was built in Appledore in north Devon in 2003.