Ship sails in with new jobs

THE Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, known as Lusty by its crew, has arrived for a £40 million upgrade at Rosyth.

The vessel sailed under the Forth Bridges and docked at Crombie in Fife, where preparatory work will be carried out. Its upgrade programme begins at Rosyth Dockyard in March. The Ministry of Defence said the work means employment for around 300 people over the next 18 months.

Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy sailed out to welcome the 685ft ship as it headed up the Firth of Forth yesterday. He also met apprentices who will work on the carrier.

He said: "UK defence contracts provide vital skilled work to companies in Scotland and have generated a welcome resurgence in our Scottish shipbuilding industry."