Link between Royal Navy warship and county proposed

A proposed link between a Royal Navy vessel and a county is an "excellent opportunity", a local authority has said.

HMS Diamond, which is based in Portsmouth, would become affiliated with Oxfordshire under plans proposed by the Navy.

The Type 45 destroyer has a crew of 240 sailors, including a Royal Marines boarding team, and is described as "one of the most advanced warships in the world".

Oxfordshire County Council's (OCC) cabinet, which has been recommended to approve the link, will vote on the plans at a meeting on Tuesday.

A report prepared by the authority before the meeting said: "Oxfordshire has a sizeable armed forces community and the council has a strong reputation for its commitment to the armed forces covenant."

It also suggested the affiliation could involve celebrations and parades, careers support and organising donation campaigns.

It said that due to its geography, the authority mostly worked with the Royal Air Force and the Army, but the proposed affiliation with HMS Diamond would provide "an excellent opportunity for the council to engage with and demonstrate support for the Navy".

Granting HMS Diamond the Freedom of Oxfordshire could also be considered, the report added.

Ahead of the meeting, OCC leader Liz Leffman said: "Should cabinet approve the recommendation of officers to go ahead with this proposal, it would strengthen the bond and support between the Royal Navy and the local community."

HMS Diamond made headlines last year after spending six months in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden helping to protect shipping from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

The warship is already affiliated with Coventry, while the town of Wantage has an affiliation with HMS Queen Elizabeth - the aircraft carrier described by the Navy as its "most powerful warship ever".

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