The Ministry of Defence has signed new contracts to build two new carriers for the Royal Navy, which means thousands of new jobs in the UK, including the northwest.

HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth will be the biggest surface warships ever made in Britain.

The carriers will be built and assembled at shipyards in Barrow-in-Furness, Portsmouth, Rosyth and Govan.

"Today's contract signing seals the future for thousands of jobs, and ensures that we will have a Royal Navy fit for the 21st century," said defence secretary Des Browne.

Last month, Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders secured a 25-year Royal Navy maintenance contract worth £250 million.

The deal will see the company, soon to be renamed Camel Laird, maintaining 11 ships over a five-year period, securing 450 jobs.

There is also the added possibility of extra work for the next three decades.