ROYAL Navy sailors did not let the fact that their ship was in the middle of a disruptive refit stop them staging a charity cake bake in Plymouth.

Ten keen bakers from HMS Monmouth took time out from the ship’s year-long-refit period in its home base of Devonport to host the event in a former sail loft from where the refit is managed.

The event was also attended by other sweet-toothed sailors and Babcock employees in the dockyard. Lieutenant Commander Laura Hodgson, who commands the ship while it is under refit, said: “This was a fantastic event for a very worth cause.

"I was really impressed with the effort made by my crew. Some of the cakes would have been worthy of Great British Bake-Off entry.”

Over £150 was raised with all proceeds to be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support and the Royal Navy/Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC). The naval charity’s beneficiaries include serving and ex-serving personnel of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and their families.

HMS Monmouth entered a dry dock to carry out work to her hull for important upgrades and a new paint job, also new radars and command and computer systems - before returning to the Fleet in 2015 to be available for operations..

The ship is known informally as the ‘Black Duke’ after James Scott, the Duke of Monmouth who was beheaded at Tower Hill on 15 July 1685.

In reference to this heritage the ship is unique in the Royal Navy as the only ship to fly a black flag and have a black as opposed to red name plate. HMS Monmouth has more battle honours than any other serving warship.

The current and seventh HMS Monmouth returned last year from a seven-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf deterring piracy and other illegal activities, and spent the autumn in UK waters conducting maritime security operations.