A MEMBER of the Royal Navy who hails from Tenby has given an insight into the historic moment when her ship went into action for the first time since the Falkland War 29 years ago, when the gunship on which she is a leading seaman opened fire in a dramatic shootout with Libya.

HMS Liverpool's 4.5-inch shell obliterated one of Colonel Gaddafi's arms caches on the coast after coming under fire from government faces.

The dramatic shootout was also the first time a naval missile has been launched by a woman as leading seaman, as 29-year-old Hayley Richards, of Tenby, pulled the trigger.

"I'd rather not have reason to shoot, but it is an honour," explained Hayley on board gunship HMS Liverpool.

Hayley and her comrades were patrolling the 'Kill Zone' eight miles from land and within range of Gaddafi's guns, when they faced a barrage of 40 Russian-made rockets in the attack.

Born in the year of the Falklands conflict, Hayley, who was a member of Tenby Sea Cadets, joined the Royal Navy a decade ago and has spent the past two years as an 'Above Water Warfare' specialist, but she never thought she'd actually go to war, let alone make history.

After launching her missile in the cramped operations room, she said: "It's just incredible. You train and train, but you never think it will actually happen. And when it does, it's different to anything you ever imagined.

"When we retaliated it snapped into Technicolor reality. My heart was beating so hard.

"I love being in the Navy and to be the first to launch a missile in 30 years is incredible, but to be the first female to fire in an operational environment is unbelievable."

Her parents Andrea and Thomas Richards, who run Augustus House bed and breakfast on South Cliff Street in Tenby, are incredibly proud of her.

"They know exactly what I do - fire the big gun on the front!" added Haley.