A former Brighton school teacher has spoken of his pride at FOUR of his former pupils becoming admirals in the Royal Navy.

The pupils were contemporaries between 1958 and 1967 at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School, which is now Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College.

There are only 34 admirals in the Navy, so to have four from the same school is exceptional.

Ian Maclean, a former teacher, deputy head and commander of the school's Combined Cadet Force (CCF), said he was proud of the four men, all of whom were admirals at the same time before one retired this year.

The first was Vice Admiral Peter Spencer, the Second Sea Lord, who attended the school from 1958 to 1965.

He was followed by Vice Admiral Sir Fabian Malbon, who recently retired as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet. He was at the school from 1961 to 1965.

Rear Admiral Anthony Dymock is currently serving in Naples as Deputy Commander of NATO Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe. He was a pupil between 1964 and 1966.

Rear Admiral John Lippiett is also serving in Naples for NATO as Chief of Staff to the Commander Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe. He attended the school from 1960 to 1967.

Mr Maclean said: "I remember them all well. I taught them in both the school and the CCF.

"We all thought once they decided to join the Navy they would do very well. We have kept in touch and noted their progress."

Mr Maclean said one of his colleagues at the school should take most of the credit for setting the youngsters on the path to a successful Naval career.

He said: "John Smithies came to the school in 1949 after serving in the Royal Marines. It was certainly his enthusiasm which led these men to join the Navy.

"Both he and I went on to command the CCF. He succeeded me as commanding officer in 1977."

Mark Gillingham, editor of the old boys' magazine, Past and Present, agreed that Mr Smithies, who lives in Brighton, made the naval cadets popular.

He added: "In the history of the school, which is over 100 years, there has only ever been one other admiral, Vice Admiral Sir John Stevens, who was at the school from 1911 to 1918."

A spokesman for the Royal Navy said he was not aware of any other schools beating the record of four ex-pupils serving as admirals at the same time.