ACHIEVING the ambition of becoming an officer in the Royal Navy is one step closer for Graham Hall after he successfully completed the first phase of a hectic training schedule.

The 25-year-old from Stubbington is hoping to become a warfare officer and is now well on his way after completing the first stage of training that involved a two-month stint at sea in the very sunny West Indies.

A former pupil at Crofton secondary school, Graham joined the Royal Navy in September 2000 after graduating from Lancaster University with a degree in Environmental Chemistry.

Since then he has been training at the Britannia Royal Naval College towards becoming an officer.

A spokeswoman for the college said: "The course at the BRNC has been at a hectic pace including two months at sea in the Type-22 Frigate HMS Sheffield, operating in the West Indies. The time on board provided Graham and his colleagues with an excellent insight to all aspects of life at sea in a fully operational warship."

His proud parents Robert and Helen Hall travelled to the college in Dartmouth, Devon, to witness Graham's impressive passing out parade which marked the conclusion of the training phase.