The crew of a minehunter ship involved in military operations off the coast of Libya have been reunited with relatives after almost six months at sea.
Friends and family waved flags and banners as the Royal Navy's HMS Bangor sailed into its home port of HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane.
The 35 men and women spent 120 days at sea in the Mediterranean clearing mines off Libya during the battle between Muammar Gaddafi's regime and rebels. They received a heroes' welcome as families rushed to embrace on the jetty when they disembarked the vessel in the rain.
The Sandown-class ship was initially bound for a Nato operation in the North Sea when it was called into action in June to go to Libya. It was tasked with opening up the routes into the country's ports and completed its mission on October 31, beginning the journey home.
Finding and destroying a 2,400lb (1,089kg) mine and a torpedo off the Libyan port of Tobruk were among the ship's successes during the mission.
Lieutenant Commander Neil Marriott, commanding officer, praised the crew for a "job well done".
He said: "It's a fantastic feeling to be back after being away for nearly six months.
"For a small ship, we contributed a lot to the Nato mission and we're pleased to have completed it successfully and come home safely."
Chief Petty Officer Grant Wilson, 33, from Dumfries, was greeted by his wife Kim and their seven-month-old daughter Charlotte - who he had not seen since she was just a few weeks old. He said: "It's absolutely fantastic to be back, just brilliant. I've noticed such a huge change in her. When I left she was just so tiny, and she's more baby-like now.
"For us, time does pass quite quickly because we are really busy with what we're doing and I think it's harder on the families back here."
