A ROYAL Navy nuclear-armed submarine has smashed the world record for the longest patrol — after spending 204 days at sea.

Sir Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey yesterday met the crew of HMS Vanguard and their families as the boat returned to the UK.

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The PM thanked them “for their months of silent service deep under water”.

He is the first PM to join a so-called Day Zero since 2013.

No10 said several sailors’ families had “significant life milestones while their loved ones were on deployment, including four submariners who returned home to newborn children”.

HMS Vengeance held the previous record of 201 days, set last year.

The subs provide Britain’s nuclear deterrent and one is always at sea.

They were only designed to carry out 80-day missions but only two of the four subs are seaworthy, forcing them so spend longer at sea.

Sir Keir will today visit Barrow-in-Furness to lay the keel to the first of the next generation nuclear armed submarines, known as the Dreadnought class.

He will also announce King Charles has agreed to confer the “Royal” title to the Port of Barrow in Cumbria in recognition of the town’s “unique and critical contribution to national security as home of nuclear submarine building in the UK”.

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