WHEN a sailor was notified that he had won a naval prize he was shocked – and even thought that an error had been made.

Tobias Travers was so surprised by the news that he went to see his superior just to receive confirmation that he was the actual intended recipient of the honour.

However, there was no mistake and Writer Travers later received the Anthony Cavanagh Memorial Trophy at the Defence Maritime Logistics School's annual awards ceremony held at HMS Raleigh.

His prize aims to give recognition to the student who has contributed most towards teamwork, naval ethos and morale during the centre's specialist training.

The 30-year-old, who joined the Royal Navy last year, said: 'I was totally shocked and taken by surprise when I was notified of the award.

'I had no idea and I thought it must have been an error. I even went to check with my divisional officer to get it confirmed but, ultimately, I'm very proud to receive the award.'

Tobias was among the 32 sailors to receive awards recognising the top students trained in the past year by the school based at the Torpoint naval establishment.