Horse racing legend Frankie Dettori visits HMS Ledbury in the Gulf

Horse racing legend Frankie Dettori paid a visit to the crew of a Royal Navy minehunter currently on operations in the Gulf.

The jockey stopped by HMS Ledbury over the Bahraini Grand Prix weekend while the ship was berthed at the new UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain.

Frankie embarked for a personal tour of HMS Ledbury, met the crew and learned about Royal Navy operations in the Gulf.

Lieutenant Commander Charles Collins, the Commanding Officer of HMS Ledbury, said: “Frankie was very relaxed meeting my team and asked lots of questions about how our equipment and the ship works.

“He enjoyed the tour of the bridge and donning a Royal Navy beret in my captain’s chair.”

Frankie met with sailors from all parts of the ship, from junior and senior rates to the officers on board – stopping for selfies with many of the crew.

Lieutenant Sam Jones said: “Frankie was a real entertainer, and he loved taking a good photo with us.”

HMS Ledbury left her home port of Portsmouth in June last year to make the 6,000-mile journey to Bahrain.

She is part of the Royal Navy’s minehunting force which is permanently stationed in the Middle East.

Their primary role is to ensure vital shipping lanes in the Middle East are kept open, protecting Britain’s economy and keeping trade routes flowing.