The so-called bread-and-water punishment was scrapped by the British Navy in 1891, but has only come to an end in the US as of the start of 2019.

Before now, the most severe administrative punishment for sailors in the three lowest pay grades was three days’ confinement on bread and water.

The last reform to the punishment was in 1909, when the maximum period was brought down from 30 days to three days.

Captain Kevin Eyer, a fierce defender of the punishment, told the New York Times: “It’s not that bad — that’s why I like it. It sounds scary but it’s just three days, you get as much bread and water as you want — a captain can do much worse things.”