As the first of a new class of hunter killer submarines arrived at her new home port for the first time, another submarine sailed into Devonport for her finale.

Unlike a brace of Type 42 destroyers, which recently slipped away without ceremony, HMS Trafalgar went out in style with a helicopter fly-past and flying a 37m long paying-off pennant to mark 26 years' service.

After officially decommissioning on 4 December 2009, most of her 130 crew will transfer to HMS Ambush at Barrow-in-Furness, with the remainder moving to other Trafalgar subs.

She will remain in storage at Plymouth with eight other decommissioned nuclear submarines until the MoD decides how to dispose of them.

Trafalgar is credited as the first British nuclear-powered submarine to circumnavigate the globe.