AIRCRAFT carrier HMS Illustrious sailed from Liverpool yesterday after a weekend stopover in which thousands of people visited the ship.

As well as meeting officers and sailors, members of the public toured the ship and viewed the Sea Harrier jump jets and Sea King helicopters onboard.

It was the first time that the 26,000-tonne Falklands War veteran – one of Britain’s biggest carriers – had visited Liverpool in her 26-year career.

The ship’s commanding officer, Captain Steve Chick, said: “HMS Illustrious has had a fantastic visit to Liverpool. We have been made to feel very welcome and enjoyed meeting people from all over the North West.”

Before arriving in Liverpool, Illustrious completed a fortnight in Nato’s biggest annual Joint Warrior naval exercise, off northern Scotland.

Capt Chick added: “HMS Illustrious has been very busy over the last month, conducting operational sea training to maintain our ability to deploy globally at short notice.

“Visiting Liverpool was a great weekend break, and a chance to give the public an insight into the capabilities of an aircraft carrier. The ship now feels refreshed and ready for the challenges ahead.”