The yard is still bidding for other work too

It is the first time in more than 10 years that Falmouth Dockyard has won a naval contract.

HMS Endurance will be at the yard for a three-and-a-half month period from mid-June until October for the refit work to be carried out.

It is hoped the contract with A&P Falmouth may lead to more specialist jobs being secured by the yard.

'Good result'

The directors of Falmouth Docks have not revealed how much the contract is worth, but said they faced stiff competition to win the refit work.

A&P Falmouth's commercial director, David Daniel, said it was a contract was hard to win.

He said: "We identified the ship as one we knew we could do and we bid very competitively for it, so this is a good result for us.

"What also affected it was some of the large RFA ships we've had here recently. We've done good jobs for the MoD too, and that also put us in good stead."

The contract will secure work for about 150 men, but the yard is still bidding for other contracts too.

David Daniel said: "We also have more capacity for other work during the summer which we are actively going for at the moment."

The yard is also hoping to employ as many local people as possible.

David Daniel said: "There will be some staff who have to be brought in from outside the town, mainly for working on the ship's weapon systems. But our aim is always to give as much employment locally as we can."

HMS Endurance is based at Portsmouth. The 91-metre (299 foot), 6,000-ton vessel is deployed annually to the Antarctic for seven months of the year.