staggered into the lobby covered in blood.

The Able Seaman, from the submarine HMS Sceptre , had apparently tumbled from his balcony into the harbour.

After a month underwater in the Atlantic Ocean his sea-legs suddenly deserted him after just two hours on land.

Luckily the sailor, who has not been named, was not badly hurt but mystery still surrounds the incident.

Police and the Royal Navy both believe that he fell from the second floor balcony of his room at the hotel.

But a hotel spokeswoman said a fall from that height would have likely killed or, at least, seriously injured the man.

"We believe he had been trying to climb somewhere and fell,'' she added. "If he had slipped off the balcony into the harbour he would have killed himself.

"I am still trying to speak to him to find out exactly what did happen, but I have been unable to find him.'' A Royal Navy spokesman said: "He would only have been on land for two hours.

He has been part of the submarine crew for the past month.''