The Second Sea Lord has made a plea to Naval personnel to wear uniform in public whenever possible – though the security climate would always have to be borne in mind.

In a personal message to all members of the Naval Service, Vice Admiral James Burnell-Nugent stressed that the terrorist threat was kept under constant review and an assessment signal issued monthly.

Based on these and the advice of their commanding officers, personnel would be well-placed to draw their own conclusions.

Responsibility rested with COs to determine the balance of risk and benefit in the light of local circumstances, and they retained the right to implement restrictions in response to specific threat intelligence.

“The decision to wear uniform in public is a personal one and vigilance must be maintained at all times,” Admiral Burnell Nugent said.

“However, there are benefits to being seen, along with our sister Services, wearing uniform in public, and I strongly encourage all personnel to do so when and where possible.

“We take great pride in being members of the Naval Service and I believe that it is important that we should be able to express this pride in a visible way.

“Promotion of the Service in the public eye is another key reason why we should wear uniform when conducting domestic business in the communities where we work.

“The pool of talented young people from which the Service can recruit is growing smaller and the competition is increasing. Using ourselves to increase the visibility of the Service will help to fill gaps.”

Admiral Burnell-Nugent added one further caveat, though: “Wearing uniform in public brings with it a responsibility to maintain the highest of standards and care must be taken to avoid doing anything which might bring the Service into disrepute.”

Meanwhile, Admiral Burnell-Nugent has spent a day with representatives of ethnic groups in Southampton, talking about careers in the Royal Navy with elders and young people of the city’s Afro-Caribbean and Muslim communities.

The Admiral called at the Wheatsheaf Trust, which specialises in raising awareness of career opportunities, economic development and lifelong learning.

He then moved on to the African-Caribbean Centre in St Mary’s and the Muslim Council of Southampton at their local mosque.

The Royal Navy’s Diversity Action Team visits schools and colleges and multi-faith centres all over the country, and the Navy is sensitive to the needs of people of different cultures, taking account of issues such as individual dietary requirements and clothing, and putting aside time for prayers and religious observances.

Said Admiral Burnell-Nugent: “I am keen for today’s Royal Navy to include as many young people as possible from culturally diverse backgrounds, and my visit to Southampton has been a great opportunity to pass that on directly.

“I hope it has shown that the Royal Navy is sensitive to the needs of different faiths and ethnic communities, and is always happy to listen to and address any concerns about perceived barriers to joining the Service.”

For more information about the RN’s Diversity Action Teams, contact Lt Cdr Eme Onyike on 0207 305 3299.