Sailor falls into water from HMS Diamond in Portsmouth

A sailor is recovering after falling from the UK's newest warship HMS Diamond while in Portsmouth harbour.

The Royal Navy said the male junior rating went overboard when the £1bn vessel was alongside at the naval base early on Monday.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) launch on patrol at the time pulled him from the water.

A spokesman said the rating was receiving medical treatment and no-one else was involved.

"It is too early to say whether there will be an investigation," he said.

HMS Diamond, one of the Navy's six new Type-45 destroyers and one of the most advanced warships in the world, arrived at its home base of Portsmouth in September.

It is undergoing 10 months of sea trials and operational sea training before formally going into service in July 2011.