A royal visit to a newly-arrived Naval support ship at Portland had to be cancelled due to measures introduced amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Prince Edward was due to visit Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship Mounts Bay at Portland Port yesterday before the vessel goes to Cornwall for a refit.

Mounts Bay has just returned from an action-packed three-year deployment in the Caribbean where it has been helping in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes to hit the region and also targeting drug traffickers.

Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, was due to meet the crew in his role as Honorary Commodore in Chief of the RFA.

It is understood social distancing guidelines introduced as part of the coronavirus crisis are to blame for the visit being shelved.

As RFA Mounts Bay returns to UK and a period of refit and maintenance, Commanding Officer, Captain Kevin Rimell RFA, said: "It has been an honour and a privilege to have been the Commanding Officer of Mounts Bay over the last few months of her deployment to the Caribbean. The impact she has had on the region over the last three years has been immense, from the hurricane relief efforts of 2017 and 2019 to the significant drugs interdiction in 2020."

He added: "The many and varied personnel from the RFA, RN, RM and RLC embarked over the period have displayed true professionalism, compassion and hard work in everything they have been asked to do, ably assisted by our counterparts in the US Coastguard – this has been a truly joint effort. Mounts Bay, I know, will be sorely missed by many. However, the UKs enduring presence in support of the UKOT in the region will continue with the arrival of the very capable HMS Medway and, later in the year, RFA's Argus and Tiderace.”

Mounts Bay arrived on station for Atlantic Patrol Tasking North (APT(N)) in June 2017. After nearly three event laden years deployed in support of UK Overseas Territories (UKOT), Hurricane Aid Disaster Relief (HADR) and Counter Narcotics (CN) operations, it arrived back in the UK at the weekend and is currently at Portland Port for de-store and maintenance before heading to Falmouth for planned refit.