Marine safety experts have detained the Cyprus flagged ship, the 17,360-ton Mighty Confidence in Southampton docks over fears of pollution and risk of fire.

A surveyor from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) in Southampton boarded the ship, loaded with cement clinker and bound for the USA, as it arrived in the Solent. The vessel, owned by Confidence Ship Management, Rotterdam, originally anchored off Dunkirk last month with main engine problems.

The French detained the ship due to malfunctioning equipment as well as evidence of lack of crew training in life saving appliances.

There were no oily waste reception facilities in Dunkirk, so the ship was allowed to make a one off voyage to Dover but could not enter the Kent harbour so was diverted to Southampton. She arrived at anchor in the Solent in the early hours of last Saturday.

The vessel has now been detained alongside in Southampton to discharge the oily water and sludge to reception facilities while a further inspection is due to take place today This inspection will include full fire and abandon ship drills with the crew.