A special naval hero and former politician of Lyme Regis has been honoured and remembered.

Members of the Lyme Regis and St George’s Twinning Association took part in the annual Admiral Sir George Somers commemoration parade on July 24.

Dignitaries, visitors from the twin town in Bermuda and guests paraded through the town, through Broad Street and along Marine Parade to the Cobb for a special ceremony.

This included Lyme Regis mayor, Cllr Brian Larcombe MBE, the town crier Alan Vivan - as well as town criers from nearby towns - and members of the twinning association.

Speeches were given by mayors of both towns and a flag was raised.

The Somers Day Parade is an annual event, which is attended by guests from the twin town each year, to honour Admiral Sir George Somers.

Sir George Somers was born in Lyme Regis in 1554 and became a respected politician and celebrated naval hero, knighted for his achievements, but best known for discovering Bermuda in 1609.

His career as a merchant trader and privateer made him a wealthy man and he was able to buy Berne Manor in Whitchurch Canonicorum in 1587.

As a privateer, in 1600, he commanded HMS Vanguard and captured a Spanish treasure ship before captaining HMS Swiftfire in 1601 which helped against the Spanish invasion of Ireland.

He was knighted by King James I in 1603 and became MP for Lyme Regis.

In 1609, Sir George and his colleagues were leading the ‘Third Supply Fleet’ on its way to Jamestown, Virginia, to relieve the ailing colony in his flagship, Sea Venture.

However, during a hurricane, Sea Venture was separated from the fleet of nine ships and was wrecked just off Discovery Bay in Bermuda. The were forced to find the first available land to survive and this marked the beginning of the colonisation of Bermuda.

It is believed his heart was buried on the island and his preserved body returned to the Cobb and buried at Whitchurch Canonicorum.

Lyme Regis officially twinned with St George’s in 1996 before making this a three-way twinning with Jamestown, USA, in 2015 in recognition that Sir George Somers was heading to Jamestown when he was shipwrecked off Bermuda.