Stokesley residents were aghast as the 50 ton HMS Prima Prilius was hoisted by two cranes from a low loader at the West end of the town, and set down gently in the flood waters. The tug cruised the High Street for an hour, and afterwards a spokesman for the company said the trial had been very successful. “We needed to test the ship in shallow water, and the floods at Stokesley came at just the right time for us.”

Police in waders prevented local residents from getting too close to the ship and those found to be taking photographs had their equipment confiscated. Later as the boat was returned to the shipyard, a Ministry spokesman confirmed that they had scoured the country to find suitable waters, and the floods in Stokesley High Street had provided a perfect depth of water.