The gates were thrown open to thousands of visitors to enjoy a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the high security Devonport Dockyard.

Defence company Babcock and the Royal Navy welcomed more than 10,000 family, friends and staff to the two-day action-packed community event on Thursday and Friday, July 24-25.

Visitors were treated to tours of the historic Devonport Royal Dockyard and naval base, which comprise the site, to see activities supporting the armed forces and critical UK defence.

Families donned lifejackets for adventurous boat trips on high-speed rigid inflatables, while other activities included live science shows, dramatic drone displays, kitchen demos from Royal Navy chefs and a rare tour of a warship.

A popular area with young people was a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) area demonstrating potential future STEM-based careers.

Babcock and the Royal Navy are among the region’s largest employers, employing about 11 per cent of locals. Babcock also has one of the largest annual apprentice programmes in the region and visitors were able to talk to staff about the varied careers on offer.

John Gane, Babcock (Devonport) managing director, said: “It was a pleasure to open the dockyard to visitors and to showcase the range of work we do in support of UK defence. There are tremendous opportunities here in Plymouth and we are hugely excited to play our part in creating a prosperous city to live and work in.”

Brigadier Mike Tanner, naval base commander, added: “It’s important for the public to see what goes on behind the walls. It has been a while since we’ve brought people in.

“The story in Devonport now is so exciting. We’ve got a new class of ship and submarine coming in and we’re really embracing the autonomous marine technology. So it’s vital we show our families where we work and be proud of our work.