A BRITISH ship, HMS Walney, has been operating off the coast of Lowestoft as part of the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). She is currently involved in “Beneficial Cooperation” in company with the Dutch mine hunter HNLMS Middelburg and the Belgium mine hunter BNS Aster.

A BRITISH ship, HMS Walney, has been operating off the coast of Lowestoft as part of the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1 (SNMCMG1).

She is currently involved in “Beneficial Cooperation” in company with the Dutch mine hunter HNLMS Middelburg and the Belgium mine hunter BNS Aster. “Beneficial Cooperation” is a multi national operation to clear world war one and world war two ordnance off the UK and Netherlands coasts.

HMS Walney's Commanding Officer Lt Cdr Marcus Jacques RN said: “With old ordnance being discovered on almost a weekly basis the current benign conditions are ideal for us to hunt for and destroy potentially lethal war relics ranging from air dropped bombs to mines and torpedoes.

“In doing so our aim is to reduce the risk not only to local fishermen, but also to the vast array of merchant and civilian vessels now frequenting our waters.

“So far the group h.as destroyed four air dropped munitions and have cleared over a dozen areas previously believed to hold discarded ordnance"