The Royal Navy's latest warship HMS Medway has been commissioned during a sun-soaked ceremony in Chatham.

The offshore patrol vessel was brought into service in the Towns - named after the river she takes her name from.

HMS Medway is commissioned

Cmdr Ben Power, the ship's captain, says addressing his crew to bring the ship into service was the "highlight" of his 17-year career in the navy adding it is "hugely significant" for the ship to be named in Medway.

He said: "This is the only time the ship will be formally commissioned into the Royal Navy and will have a 25 to 30-year lifespan.

"I think to come to your namesake river and to Chatham, which is so uniquely connected to the Royal Navy, is a complete honour.

"Everybody from the moment we arrived has provided us the nicest reception we could ask for.

"It's been overwhelmingly superb and I'm hugely delighted and would like to thank the people of Medway for what they've done.

"As we deploy, we will always represent Medway and take a little part of Medway with us wherever we go.

HMS Medway is the first of five new offshore River Class patrol vessels and the second one to officially enter service after HMS Forth. The Trent, Tamar and Spey will follow.

Set against glorious blue skies and a calm late summer breeze, HMS Medway - the 11th ship in the Royal Navy to bear the name - was officially dedicated and brought into service.

The service started with sailors parading in front of their ship before the band of the Royal Marines Collingwood - based at Gosport in Hampshire - played the National Anthem to start proceedings.

The dedication lasted for about 45 minutes accompanied by hymns, prayers, speeches and blessings for the crew.

Lady Fallon, who is the ship's sponsor, met some of the crew accompanied by Cmdr Power.

She gave a speech, saying she had followed the ship's progress since attending the first cutting of the steel in Scotstoun on the River Clyde in 2017.

Lady Fallon said: "On this beautiful day having successfully completed her trials in record time we're most appropriately gathered together here in historic Chatham.

"I'm so pleased all of us involved in the life of the ship have an opportunity to join together and celebrate her commissioning.

"I'm so honoured to be her lady sponsor. It's been an absolute joy to be involved from the very beginning."

Top brass and dignitaries joined the crew's family to celebrate the ship entering service ready for global deployment next year.

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Spectators lined the bank behind the stand overlooking the 90-metre vessel docked at her berth along Maritime Way.

The ship will now take part in final training missions ahead of her first active duties in the New Year.

Cmdr Power added: "It's a huge privilege to be captain. HMS Medway represents the future. She's far larger than the earlier ones the navy currently has.

"We're able to do so much more. She's a 2,500-tonne ship and 91m and can do about 25 or 26 knots - about 30mph - and can go 5,000 miles on a single tank of fuel."

HMS Medway arrived on Tuesday to crowds lining the basin at Chatham Maritime - as the ship returned to her spiritual home.

Sub Lt Luke Murphy, a gunnery officer on the ship, is from Canterbury and says it's been extremely special to be in Kent for the commissioning.

He said: "It's been really good to come here with my mum and get back. Although Portsmouth is our home port we always feel at home here because of the reception we receive.

"It's a great event to get their families down to - I've got all my family coming - especially on a lovely day like today and it means we can say thank you to them and all the people that make Chatham what it is as such a historic maritime city."

The crew will receive the Freedom of Medway on Saturday with a parade taking place from 11am from Chatham town centre to the Historic Dockyard.

Medway council leader Cllr Alan Jarrett said: "We've worked really hard with various naval officers to pull this off. For it to be commissioned in the place that bears its name is quite unusual and we're really pleased to have achieved that.

"We have tremendous naval history dating back centuries and this is another page in that history. The whole of Medway I think will be pretty pleased she's here.

"This ship will feature in goodness knows what over the years and Medway people will be looking for its name and wishing it well and seeing what exploits and adventures it gets up to.

"There's enormous interest in the ship and because of Medway's history and this is part of it now.

"It's so important in terms of Medway's wider identity, the city of culture and putting Medway on the map. It ties in together. The work we've been doing in 21 years since Medway was formed is all part of it and really significant and something to be proud of."

See next week's Medway Messenger for full coverage and pictures of the events.

To read about the Armed Forces and how they have served Kent and beyond, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Medway