A striking image showing ground crews battling the elements in front of a snow-covered Voyager aircraft is one of four winners in this year’s RAF photographic competition.

Sgt Andy Holmes’s photo, titled Ground Zero, was taken at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands and was selected as the winner of the Operations and Exercises category.

The sergeant, who is stationed at RAF Benson in south Oxfordshire, also won the Current RAF Equipment category with the image titled Astra which shows a Typhoon aircraft pictured in front of a starry sky in the Falklands.

More than 900 images were submitted across four categories in the 2020 Royal Air Force Photographic Competition.

The winner of the Peoples’ Choice category was Cpl Phil Dye, from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, for his photo Helping Hand, which shows personnel from 84 Squadron taking part in a medevac exercise on HMS Enterprise.

Ian Forshaw, from RAF Shawbury in Shropshire, won the Personnel category with his photo of a student pilot taking part in night training in a Juno H135 Eurocopter.

Martin Keene, who was one of the competition’s three industry professional judges, said Sgt Holmes’s image of the ground crew in the Falklands was “pure photographic brilliance”.

The PA news agency photographer said:  “There are some terrific pictures this year of the RAF people and kit in action but the winning picture stands out – aviators, ground crew and kit battle against the elements a long way from home.

“It’s a picture that would not be out of place on the big screen – and is pure photographic brilliance.”

The winner of the Peoples’ Choice category was selected by the public on Facebook.