A ROYAL Navy ship has been welcomed on Teesside.

HMS Marlborough, which has the freedom of the borough of Middlesbrough, has docked at the Cammell Lairds shipyard on the Tees - a year to the month since it received the civic honour.

The crew is making a five-day visit to the town.

On its arrival, the frigate's decks swarmed with school children as 150 pupils from Whitehouse Primary School, Stockton, were given a guided tour of the ship.

Although the frigate is making a return visit to the town, it was commanding officer, Captain Duncan Potts's first visit to Middlesbrough as the ship's skipper.