Services remember fishermen who perished at sea

Helen Lovell-Smith read a roll call of fishermen who had been lost in local waters and in waters far from home since 1817

Remembrance services for fishermen lost at sea were held across Devon and Cornwall on Sunday.

Brixham Fish Market was packed for the Fishermen's Mission (FM) memorial service which marked the second National Fishing Remembrance Day.

During the service FM area officer Helen Lovell-Smith read the names of the fishermen who had been lost in local waters and those from Devon who had been lost away from home since 1817.

Other memorial services took place in Padstow and Newlyn.

Ms Lovell-Smith said she had to trust her fisherman husband was safe when he was at sea

Mrs Lovell-Smith said: "It is tough. I'm a daughter of a fisherman and the wife of a fisherman and so it's my life.

"I live with that fear that my husband's going to sea in stormy weather and is he safe?

"I have to trust that he is safe but you don't know, accidents happen all the time at sea."

Rev Dr Philippa Bellows, who took a prayer during the service, reflected on the risks fishermen and women faced through their jobs.

She said: "I suspect many holidaymakers who really love to come to Brixham and eat their fish and chips in the sunshine have no idea about the risk, the heartache and the general cost to everyday living that goes into bringing those fish safely in."

After the memorial, the Torbay and Exmouth RNLI lifeboats took floral tributes to sea.

Brixham Fish Market was packed with people for the memorial service

Ms Lovell-Smith concluded: "We are very proud to be able to hold this service for our local community.

"We have lost many to the sea in this area and it is a time for us to reflect on this loss, together, as a community."