Dame Kelly Holmes, an Olympic gold medallist, has attended the official naming ceremony of the Spirit of Britain.

As P&O Ferries’ latest passenger ferry vessel, the Spirit of Britain, which operates on the Dover – Calais route, attracted plenty of attention from the media, as Dame Kelly named it on Thursday.

The ceremony was conducted at the Port of Dover’s Eastern Docks to a crowd of select guests, who watched on in delight as Dame Kelly’s Olympic success was replayed on large television screens before the former athlete appeared and gave a speech.

The Dame said: “The reward if you get it right is success. I agreed to become godmother of the Spirit of Britain because I recognised many of those traits in P&O Ferries.

“Not only is it a household name but it is one of the biggest employers in East Kent and my home county. It is also a generous sponsor of a talented athletes programme, which gives five young athletes in Kent financial awards with the ultimate hope of competing in the Olympics in 2012.

“Of course, that was a big tick in the box. I am pleased to know that Spirit of Britain has set many new records, being the biggest, longest and widest ferry ever to operate on the Dover Strait.”

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