JOYOUS families waved and cheered as Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo returned to base in Plymouth after a 19-month deployment, bringing crew members home to their families.

Commander Matt Syrett, commanding officer of HMS Echo and a former Tavistock College student, stepped ashore and was welcomed by his wife and two children.

He paid tribute to his crew for their professionalism and the families for their support.

The Plymouth-born former Tavistock student said: 'It is great to be back home and to see all the families here.

The crew is rotated, so everyone gets periods of leave.

'Nineteen months is far too long to serve at sea. So the rotation means the crew are in good spirits and have therefore, delivered operational success much to their credit.

'This also works to keep families happy.'

He highlighted achievements such as deterring unexpected potential piracy activity when the ship's salting gun was used as a successful warning, surveying undersea volcanoes and mapping a huge sub-sea mount the size of Gibraltar.