A ROYAL Navy submariner from Bere Alston has been presented with his valedictory certificate, marking his retirement from the service for the second time.

Chief Petty Officer Stuart McQueen, 61, was presented with his certificate by the head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the First Sea Lord, during a parade at HMS Raleigh.

CPO McQueen originally joined the Royal Navy in 1966 and served for 23 years. He left the service in 1993 and then re-joined as a full-time reservist in June 2002.

CPO McQueen said: 'Receiving my valedictory certificate from the First Sea Lord was a real honour.

'The parade itself passed in a bit of a blur and I felt quite numb collecting the certificate.

'Overall though it was a great way to finish my career, and my wife Elizabeth, my father and I all thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.'

Starting his career in general service, CPO McQueen served on three Royal Navy warships before transferring to submarines in 1970.

He then went on to serve on eight submarines. In between, CPO McQueen has served ashore in Portsmouth and Plymouth.

He returned to HMS Raleigh in 2007 to work within the fire-fighting school, passing on his knowledge to a new generation of sailors.

CPO McQueen has no intention of slowing down now he has retired, as he is due to start work for Babcock in May, on a project to update the Vanguard class of submarine.