ROYAL Navy mine hunter HMS Brocklesby will visit Ipswich on Friday as part of her ongoing operational tasking along the east coast of the UK.

ROYAL Navy mine hunter HMS Brocklesby will visit Ipswich on Friday as part of her ongoing operational tasking along the east coast of the UK.

During her two day visit, the 650-tonne ship and her crew will welcome visitors on board, including civic dignitaries and councillors at an evening reception.

Sea cadets from Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Felixstowe will also tour the ship.

On Saturday, the ship will be open to visitors from 10am until 4pm. Admission is free.

Tours of Brocklesby will cover specialist areas such as navigation, fire-fighting and flood reactions, diving, mine hunting and naval warfare.

The ship's commanding officer, lieutenant commander Matt Dennis, said: “It is a real privilege to be in Ipswich representing the Royal Navy.

“I am very much looking forward to meeting members of the local community and grateful for this opportunity to open our ship to the general public, giving them an insight into our lives at sea.”

Most recently the ship has been engaged in route survey, mine hunting and maritime security operations on the river Thames.

As one of eight Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMV) made from glass reinforced plastic, HMS Brocklesby is pound for pound and inch for inch one of the Royal Navy's most capable warships.

Commissioned in to the fleet in 1982, she is fitted with the senior service's most sophisticated mine hunting sonar and command system.

Brocklesby has seen service in the Baltic and the Persian Gulf, receiving Battle Honours for her part in the 2003 Al Faw peninsula campaign.

Earlier this year she conducted NATO operations in the Baltic as part of an international taskforce, securing vital shipping lanes.