A teenager's nine-month deployment with the Royal Navy included a major drugs bust and saving the life of a shipwrecked sailor.

And now, James Kenyon, 19, is looking forward to spending Christmas at home.

James, a warfare specialist on board HMS Monmouth, has travelled more than 40,000 miles through some of the highest-threat waters in the world.

The Silloth teenager was a part of a £65 million drug bust in the Indian Ocean – the biggest the navy has ever seen – in which three-quarters-of-a-tonne of heroin and cannabis was seized by the crew from the freezer of a fishing boat.

He also assisted in the dramatic rescue of a sailor from a tanker which sank in the Indian Ocean. Without the crew's swift action, the sailor would have drowned.

Their bravery was recognised through the Sun 's Military Awards, held earlier this month, when they were nominated for the Hero Overseas Unit award.

"Just to be nominated was like 'wow', we've actually done something," said James.

HMS Monmouth’s crew spent the last nine months patrolling dangerous waters, including Bab-el-Mandeb, a strait located between Yemen and Djibouti, and the Strait of Hormuz, between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

James has enjoyed some downtime, however, visiting countries including Gibraltar, Bahrain, and Kenya, where he had an opportunity to go on safari at the Tsavo East National Park.

James said: "It was really, really good. It's one of the biggest natural reserves in the world, the size of Wales. We got to see the "big five" – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo.

"We went to see an African tribe and they let us look around the village.

"It was quite an eye-opener. You see it on things like Comic Relief and don't realise how bad it is.

"I gave the kids some Oreos and they loved me!"

James, a former pupil of St Joseph's School in Workington, joined the navy at the age of 17. He said he was inspired by family members who had served, including his great-grandfather who was a submariner in the Second World War.

"I thought I might as well give it a go and I don't regret it. I've been all over the world," he said.

James hopes to progress his career in the navy. He would like to gain a commission and become an officer in the next 10 years.

But for now, he is enjoying spending time with family and friends while he's home for Christmas, although he said it has been different to being out at sea.

"I've had a lot of catching up to do. There are some friends I haven't seen since joining the navy nearly two years ago and it was like we were never apart.

"I'm just glad to be home."