By Jason Moore
ONE of my more treasured possessions is a wooden ship´s badge of the now decommissioned Royal Navy aircraft carrier, Ark Royal. It was presented to me in Palma by its captain when the carrier returned from the Iraq war. I am sure that other people have treasured reminders of the Ark which has been a frequent visitor to Palma over its long career. It is a great shame that this once fine ship is now available for sale on the internet like an unwanted sofa. Its sister ship, the Invincible, has recently been sold for scrap.
Two such great ships now have the most undignified of ends. Britain has a great maritime past and it is a shame that these two ships could not be used in a more dignified role. The name Ark Royal has served the Royal Navy well, a ship of this name took part in the defeat of the Spanish armada. I still believe that the Ark Royal should still be in service with the Royal Navy.
It is needed and so are its Harrier jets. I think David Cameron´s government made a big mistake scrapping the Ark Royal early especially in the light of the Libyan crisis. Instead of being available for sale on the internet the Ark Royal should be off Libya enforcing the United Nations embargo and flying the flag for the Royal Navy, like the U.S. and French navies.