A memorial to Halesowen seaman Paul McCann and fellow submariners who lost their lives in action will be unveiled by Prince William next week.

Parents Brian and Pauline; sister, Sharon, and nieces Indea, aged 14, and Lottie, 10, are travelling from Spain, where they live, to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport, Hampshire, on Tuesday  to attend the ceremony.

Mr McCann, 32, died last March after an explosion aboard the nuclear submarine HMS Tireless, while on an operation underneath the Arctic ice cap.

The area of remembrance, is a wall, with names of 5,300 submariners who died in action between 1904 and today. Mother, Pauline, said: “I’m pleased Paul is to be honoured in this way. We have been invited to the ceremony by Clarence House and hopefully we will get the chance to speak to Prince William while we are there.

“Not only is this memorial a fitting tribute to Paul it is also a tribute to all the submariners who have lost their lives over the years.”

Known by friends as ‘Tinny” the leading operator mechanic was a pupil at Earls High School. Fellow submariner Anthony Huntrod, 20, of Sunderland, also died. Shortly before Paul died he asked to leave the Navy to move to the US after his engagement to Julie Day-McGovern.

Birmingham City FC supporter Mr McCann represented his home team and the Royal Navy at cricket.