A SERVICE of remembrance for Falklands warship HMS Plymouth took place in Birkenhead's Vittoria Dock on Saturday.

The vessel formed part of Wirral's historic warship display but is now destined to be scrapped after attempts to turn it into a tourist attraction failed.

HMS Plymouth is not only the last warship from the Falklands conflict still to be afloat in the UK, but also the last of her class - the Type 12 frigate.

She was launched in 1959 and decommissioned in 1988.

At the end of the Falklands war, the armistice was signed in the ship's ward room.

HMS Plymouth was saved by the Warship Preservation Trust and, in the early 1990s after a spell in Cammell Laird undergoing essential maintenance, she was moved to Birkenhead's East Float Dock.

The dock was transformed into the historic warship exhibition under a partnership with Wirral Council.

HMS Plymouth was opened to the public for the first time in May of 1992.

Sadly, the trust went into voluntary liquidation and the exhibition closed to visitors in 2006.

The decision to scrap was made by Peel Ports and is particularly poignant in this, the Falklands conflict’s 30th anniversary.

HMS Plymouth Association was granted access to the ship to hold a remembrance service on board for former crew, staff of the Warship Preservation Trust, and their families.

Contingents from the Sea Cadet Corps from both TS Plymouth in Edmonton and TS Ark Royal in Bradford attended.

Among them was John Horsham, now 73, of Plymouth, who said: “Along with my elder brother I worked on the construction of the ship and played a bit part in the launching operation.

“Our father was the Naval constructor in charge of building the welded sections which were married together on the slipway to form the hull."

John has written a poetic lament to HMS Plymouth which he read out at the service.