ALMOST 1,000 tonnes of water has been pumped from the Hoegh Osaka.

Salvors have begun the operation to remove up to 3,000 tonnes of water from the vessel, and hope to right her during the next week.

After work began on the stricken vehicle transporter on Saturday, the ship remains at a 48 degrees list.

Salvors Svitzer have removed about 800 tonnes of clean water from the vessel's lower car decks.

The water got into the ship when an excavator on deck six shifted and punctured a hole in the side.

That hole has since been patched up and divers have not found evidence of any other serious damage to her hull on subsequent inspections.

Work to pump out the water will continue today, but the Maritime and Coastguard Agency says progress will be slower as divers will have to reposition the pump to ensure only clean water is removed and pumped back into the Solent.

The agency says the vessel is unlikely to be moved to Southampton Port before Wednesday, more than two weeks after she was deliberately run aground on Bramble Bank having left the city on her way to Germany.