EARLY morning revelry at Dartmouth's Britannia Royal Naval College caused anger when it could be heard across the river. Officer cadets revving up for last Thursday's passing-out parade had underestimated the noise they were making. TM Smyth, of Kingswear, said they were awoken at 6am by loud, blaring music and an accompanying 'black rapper, club-style' man shouting on a microphone. The hi-jinks – which went on for about an hour – included the songs In the Navy and YMCA, by the Village People, and even the sing-along favourite the Hokey Cokey. The college has apologised to Mr and Mrs Smyth for the disturbance, which it says is part of college tradition and only happens on the morning of the passing out parade. In an email to the Chronicle, TM Smyth said: 'For the first time I write to my local councils and the local paper. At 6.20am, I rang the number listed online for the BRNC which is a local number 01803 832141, which was answered by an Ministry of Defence call centre, and I was then put through to the gate at BRNC Dartmouth. 'I complained to the person who answered and they replied: "We'll pass on your concerns". 'Sorry not good enough. 'The community supports the BRNC, quite rightly. We hear operational firing late in the evening and often have military bands etc, all of which, as it's a working military college, we all expect and admire.

'Not a problem at all. We take great pride in having the naval college here. 'However, a 6am, a one-hour session of dancing to club and 1970s disco music accompanied by inane DJ rubbish is well out of order and utterly inconsiderate. Why do that? 'We had club music and old 1970s stuff, for example In the Navy and YMCA by the Village People and even the Hokey Cokey – including an encore where the DJ started them all off with: "oooOOOHHH (getting louder all the while) the hokey cokey – c'mon all hold hands – oooOOOHHH the hokey cokey". 'Inane DJ chatter accompanied all tracks by the way. 'I would be interested to know if this is going to happen at 6am every time there is a passing-out parade. I do hope not. 'I know the parade ground had the passing-out cadets taking part because – oh yes – they finished off with a loud singalong to Time to Say Goodbye. 'Presumably they all then got ready for the passing-out parade. 'I am seriously hacked off. I am not some oldie complaining. I am in my forties and a working person who has to get up and go to work every day. 'Losing an hour's sleep to this rubbish is really not on.' A BRNC spokesman told the Chronicle: 'The college prides itself on the special relationship it enjoys with the people of Dartmouth and Kingswear. 'We have been in touch with Mr and Mrs Smyth to offer our sincere apologies for the disturbance and explained that the early morning activity is part of college tradition, which only happens on the morning of the passing out parade. 'While it has an element of fun to mark the end the officer cadets' 30 weeks of training, there is also a serious purpose to get their blood flowing, before they stand on parade for a considerable period of time. 'A new PA system has recently been installed and this was the first time it had been used. 'Unfortunately we misjudged the volume on this occasion and the use of the microphone was an error. It will not be used for future activities of this kind.' A spokesman for South Hams Council said: 'The environmental health department received a complaint about music from the Britannia Royal Naval College at 6am hours on Thursday, May 1, and shall be contacting both the college and the complainant to investigate the matter further. 'We are hoping that a satisfactory resolution to the issue can be found and that there will no longer be the need for residents to complain about such noise from the college in the future.'