With tasks including delivering a bell, meeting members of the England cricket team and training up MPs, the crew of HMS Monmouth have been engaged in a busy and varied programme – including successfully capturing international drug smugglers.

HMS Monmouth, nicknamed the Black Duke, arrived in the Caribbean to carry out her counter-drug smuggling operations in March.

Since then, three teams of drug smugglers have had cause to regret her arrival.

In the first bust she chased a go-fast vessel for 12 hours overnight before catching up with it.

In the second, Monmouth’s Merlin helicopter played a vital role – once the crew of the go-fast vessel saw its presence, they gave up their attempt to escape.

Before surrendering, the crew threw fuel drums and packages overboard. As no drugs were found, it is likely they were weighted and thrown over as well.

For bust number three the ship deployed an extra ‘weapon’ in the war on drug runners – Caspar the springer spaniel, who joined the Black Duke to aid the search of suspicious vessels.

Caspar quickly sniffed out a small cocaine stash aboard a fishing vessel, aided by his Army handler Cpl Daniel Fiddy.

“It’s like a sixth sense,” said Cpl Fiddy. “He knows exactly how drug traffickers think. When you’ve got Caspar around you’re pretty sure something’s going to be found.”

The dog has a kennel in the officers’ accommodation and a life jacket for trips in the sea boat.

Monmouth’s Commanding Officer, Cdr Guy Haywood, said of the two earlier busts: “It was an extremely busy and testing time for all on board, but we achieved our aim of stopping the go-fasts from delivering their cargo of drugs, possibly for onward shipping to the UK.”

Aboard Monmouth were five Labour and Conservative MPs to experience life at sea with the Royal Navy.

Besides seeing the two captures, the MPs took part in daily life on board, including cooking breakfast for 180 people and changing the oil in the gas turbines.

It is also thanks to the Black Duke that the sound of a bell chiming was heard at a church in Tobago for the first time in ten years.

It was donated by St Budeaux parish in Plymouth, when its old church was pulled down and carried across the Atlantic by Monmouth to Plymouth, Tobago, strengthening the link between the two communities.

“We are delighted to be able to take the bell with us to Trinidad and to support such a worthwhile cause,” Cdr Haywood said.

“I am glad we have been able to do something positive to foster relations between the two Plymouth congregations across the Atlantic.”

Monmouth’s crew took time off to visit the beach in Barbados, taking with them the ship’s mascot, a teddy bear named Pugwash.

The bear was sent to the ship by Shirenewton Primary School, Chepstow, in Monmouth-shire, so the bear was photographed so that the pupils can see how he is getting on.

Sailors also met members of the England cricket team when they took time off from test match practice to visit the ship.

The players chatted with crew and had their photos taken, including Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Marcus Trescothick posing by the ship’s 4.5in ‘Kryten’ gun.

After the tour the cricketers went back to their training for the remainder of the Test and one-day series against the West Indies.

Monmouth is due to be in the Caribbean until July.