Visitors to Nelson's flagship HMS Victory in Hampshire have been getting into the festive spirit with a Dickensian Christmas celebration.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard hosted the Victorian Festival of Christmas which featured a range of traditional attractions from steam engines and carousels to markets and mulled wine stalls.

The event took the theme of Charles Dickens to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth in the Hampshire city.

A dockyard spokeswoman said: ''This family favourite weekend in the unique surroundings of a dockyard steeped in history - Charles Dickens' father, John Dickens, helped manage the naval pay office - is the perfect way to start the festive season.''

The historic surroundings were turned into a Victorian street for the event with entertainers dressed up as a range of Dickens' favourite characters including Oliver Twist and Fagin's gang of pickpockets.

The event also helped to raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC).

As well as HMS Victory, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is home to HMS Warrior 1860, the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the new museum housing the Mary Rose which is due to open next year while the museum telling the ship's history remains open.