HMS King Alfred, the Royal Naval Reserve unit based in Portsmouth, has celebrated moving into its new home with a formal ceremony in the presence of Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO, who is also Commodore-in-Chief of the Maritime Reserve.

Petersfield reservist Lieutenant Commander Bill Young, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was present for the ceremony.

It marked the end of a major refurbishment programme that has seen the historic Semaphore Tower and surrounding buildings within the historic dockyard in Portsmouth converted into a first-class training centre for the Maritime Reserves.

Lt Cdr Young said: “It was great to feel part of a historic event for HMS King Alfred.

“Our new home is a fantastic place to train and work in, right at the heart of the historic dockyard.”

The new centre is part of a transformation programme that will see the centre become a waterfront regional training hub.

This will make the unit a focal point for not only reservists from the local area, but across the UK.

HMS King Alfred’s commanding officer, Commander Andrew Robinson, said: “As one of the largest reserve units in the UK, these new modern and fit-for-purpose facilities will allow us to enhance our training, attract new talent and continue to contribute our specialist skills to the Royal Navy in support of global operations.”