A Royal Navy chef has revealed how he hand crafts a fleet of chocolate warships as a showstopping final course at an annual Trafalgar Night dinner.

Able rating Tom Coulson, aged 25, carefully constructs each confectionary man o’ war for the dinner at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, at Helston, Cornwall.

Trafalgar Nights are held by the navy each year to mark the historic victory on October 21, 1805.

AB Coulson said: “I am making 15 ships this year. That’s not too bad – last year I made 25. We always make these ships and fill them with sweets. They are then presented at the end of the wardroom dinner on Trafalgar Night where they are broken up and everyone eats the chocolate.

“I’ve been making them for eight years now. It’s a real tradition in the navy and each ship is a work of art.

“I bought an Airfix model of HMS Victory and used the hull with food-safe silicone in a piece of guttering to make a mould. Each ship needs about half a kilo of chocolate. I just use basic cooking chocolate. The cannons and bowsprit are made from Matchmakers.

“The masts are made of wooden dowel, cut down to size and coloured with gravy browning. We make the sails just from paper and colour them with used a teabag. Cutting out the flags and threading them on string is probably the most time-consuming part.

“I’d say, with chilling time in the fridge, each ship takes about six hours to make. I must have made hundreds over the years. They are always a huge success at the dinner although it’s just a shame that I never get to eat one.”