VOSPER Thornycroft's Southampton-born Rio de Janeiro agent has spoken of his great love for the city.

Barry Guard says television documentaries focus only on the bad aspects of the city, not the good.

Barry, 57, has been with Vospers for 43 years. He helped to design and build four Niteroi class destroyers in Woolston for the Brazilian Navy in the 70s.

Two more of the Mark 10 ships were built in Rio, with help from Vosper staff.

"Everyone enjoyed working on the project and the Brazilians were marvellous," said Barry.

"All Woolston benefited from the project."

Barry grew up in Maybush and attended school in Millbrook, joining Vospers as a shipyard apprentice.

He was a machinery design section leader for the Brazilian deal, which saw BNS Niteroi, Desbnsora, Constituicao and Liberal launched at Southampton.

Initially, he went to Brazil for six months to advise the Brazilian Navy and is still there after 16 years, 13 of them as resident manager of Vosper Thorneycroft (UK) Ltd. "We also represent many well-known British companies, such as GEC Marconi, Paxman and Shipham," said Barry.

"I didn't like it at first, but that changed after a year.

"Expats here say if you live in Rio for more than three years you never go back.

"If I go back when I retire I would spend six months there and six months here because of the cold English winter.

"Most of my friends are Brazilian. They are friendly and they like foreigners, especially the British.

"They are very happy people, despite having to cope with a lot of problems. They overcome them better than we would in a similar situation.

"The bank on the corner has been robbed three times in the 13 years Vospers has been based there.

"But people don't come to your assistance. They are too afraid."

He once found himself facing gun-toting robbers in a cash snatch at his shared office.

But he said it was wrong to focus only on the country's extreme poverty and violence.

"It's a more healthy place to live than England because of the climate. Everything grows all the year round," he said.

"Programmes only show the very poor and the very rich - but there's a lot in between."

Barry comes home twice a year to see his mum Vesta, 85, who still live s in the area and lovingly cuts out every Daily Echo article mentioning Vospers for him.

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