Image copyright PA

Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines on board a warship have sent a Mother's Day message back home from the Gulf.

Crew members lined up on the flight deck of destroyer HMS Dauntless to form the word "Mum" and two kisses.

The photo was taken from the ship's Lynx Mark 8 helicopter which was on a training flight.

The greeting was sent on behalf of the 210-strong crew of the Portsmouth-based warship, which is in the Gulf to deter piracy and keep sea lanes open.

For many of the service personnel on board the destroyer, it is their first time on a major deployment away from the UK.

Cdr Adrian Fryer, the ship's commanding officer, said: "When we are away from home the support of our families and loved ones is incredibly important in helping us to carry out our tasks to the best of our abilities.

"We are all so grateful for the amazing support we have received from home in the last few months and it is great to be able to send a rather different Mother's Day e-card while we are deployed."

HMS Dauntless left Portsmouth at the start of January for a five-month routine deployment.

In addition to anti-piracy patrols, it will make several stops in the Mediterranean for training as well as visiting ports in a number of Gulf states.