A SPECTACULAR fly past and band are set to welcome back HMS Ark Royal from the Gulf tomorrow and one Worcestershire sailor can't wait to get stuck into a Sunday roast.

After five months aboard the aircraft carrier, which served in the Iraqi war, Richard Kenney is among crew-members hungry for dry land and good grub when they dock at Portsmouth.

Natalie Lazenby, a former pupil of Blessed Edward Oldcorne school, Worcester, who at 18 years old was one of the youngest girls to serve on board, is also returning.

Richard's father Michael and mother Catherine from Colletts Green, Powick are set to drive down to meet the 26-year-old. Both are relieved the conflict is over.

"It will be great to see him back home. He's been away since January 15. We've had letters from him but it will be good to see him in person," said Mr Kenney.

"He must be feeling OK, because he's let us know what he wants to eat on Sunday - a traditional roast and his dad's homemade cheesecake."

Natalie's grandmother, Enid Deeprose from St Peter's, said around 12 family members were set to welcome her home.

"We are all over the moon that she's returning and we're all very proud of her," said Mrs Deeprose.

"She's always wanted to be in the Navy ever since she joined the Sea Cadets at the age of 10, down at Diglis Basin."

LWEA Kenney is a leading warfare electronics artificer on the battleship. He passed out into the Royal Navy in 1999 and has also served on board HMS Illustrious.

WSTD Lazenby is a wren steward who passed out in November 2001.

Return to Worcester for peace activist

A PEACE activist whose friend died in her arms while they tried to save Palestinian homes has returned home to Worcester.

Alice Coy, aged 27, went out to Israel in January because she was so outraged at attacks by Israeli soldiers on Palestinians living on the Gaza strip.

For over four months she acted as a human shield for Palestinian school children, ambulances and workers, in the hope that forces would not shoot at internationals.

"When you are there, observing, things are still bad," she told the Evening News yesterday. "But you know it would be worse if you weren't there."

One of the roles of the peace activists was to stand in front of bulldozers to protect Palestinian houses being destroyed by Israeli forces in the city of Rafah.

In March, Alice's friend Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American activist, was killed after one of the bulldozers did not stop and crushed her.

"Rachel died in my arms," said Alice. Tragedy struck Alice's life again as she struggled to save 21-year-old British activist Tom Hurndall after he was shot in the head trying to get children to safety after the Israeli Army opened fire in a street in Rafah.

Refusing to leave, Miss Coy was eventually detained by authorities at a checkpoint, interrogated and held in solitary confinement for five days before being deported.

Alice moved to Leigh Sinton when she was 12, and her family who still live in the area were overjoyed when the 27-year-old returned to the county on Tuesday, May 13.

Alice's amazing story will be told in full in a special feature in tomorrow's Evening News.