HMS Mersey docks in her namesake river after Baltic Sea deployment James Wharton 17th April 2023 at 4:23pm

Watch: HMS Mersey returns to Liverpool after two-month deployment on the Baltic Sea.

HMS Mersey was welcomed back to the city that sits on her namesake river, a welcome break after a two-month deployment in the Baltic Sea.

The River-class offshore patrol vessel, one of the Royal Navy's most deployed ships, docked in Liverpool, on the River Mersey, after eight weeks at sea.

During her five-day stay in the city, the ship and her crew were honoured by Sefton Borough Council, which presented them with the honorary Freedom of the Borough of Sefton. 

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Mersey's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander James Mitchell, who accepted the honour from Sefton's mayor, said: "Over the course of the last two months, Mersey was deployed in the Baltic Sea region, operating under the umbrella of the Joint Expeditionary Force, which is a group of 10 like-minded countries.

"A lot of it was spent training, working, and learning from our partners and friends in the region, but also, spending periods at sea operating and conducting maritime security patrols," he added.

Lt Cdr James Mitchell with Mayor of Sefton Clare Carragher and some of the crew of HMS Mersey.

During her time in the Baltic Sea, HMS Mersey also worked with colleagues from the Royal Air Force to conduct maritime patrols from the air.

After concluding her time in the region, she sailed to Liverpool where 600 members of the public were welcomed on board to learn more about the vessel.

After departing Liverpool, HMS Mersey will head to Portsmouth for maintenance before returning to her duties at sea.

HMS Mersey visited Liverpool for five days after being deployed to the Baltic Sea.

Mayor of Sefton Clare Carragher said: "For me, it is a great honour, because not only am I the Mayor of Sefton, but I got to do this as the Armed Forces Champion for Sefton.

"So, the Armed Forces mean a lot to me. I'm a pad brat, so my dad was in the Armed Forces, and to be able to give this freedom to HMS Mersey is just such a great honour for me personally."

This is not the first time the ship has received such a welcome. The council presented HMS Mersey with the Honorary Freedom of the Borough when she visited in 2016.

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