Ark Royal waved off on its final voyage

Hundreds of people turned out to wave goodbye to the Royal Navy’s former flagship HMS Ark Royal as it was towed away to be scrapped.

The former flagship of the Royal Navy faces dismantling on arrival at a Turkish scrapyard. Picture: PA

The aircraft carrier, which was formally decommissioned in 2011, is being taken to Turkey where it will be dismantled by ship recycling firm Leyal.

People lined the harbour walls at Portsmouth to catch a final glimpse of the warship as it left its home base.

A flotilla of small boats sailed with the Ark Royal as it was pulled by tugs from the harbour. The tugs sounded their horns which echoed off the harbour walls as the crowd, some waving flags, stood in silence as the huge ship sailed past.

Among those who turned out was former crew member John Mayer. The 47-year-old former stores assistant from Fareham said: “It’s a very emotional day, it’s great to see so many people.”

The Ark Royal was named by the Queen Mother and entered service in 1981.

It served in the Bosnian war and also sailed to the Persian Gulf for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and was given a hero’s 
welcome when it returned to Portsmouth.