shipping editor Keith Hamilton meets the personnel of Southampton's Vessel Traffic Services - the eyes and ears of the port.

Southampton Water is one of the busiest marine highways in Europe, a stretch of water vital to the nation's economy and international trade.

The port of Southampton never sleeps. Its quayside is busy day and night with imports and exports worth millions.

With this booming business comes almost non-stop activity as vessels negotiate Southampton Water from the Solent and nearby shipping lanes.

Huge container vessels, specialised vehicle carriers, luxurious liners, oil tankers and ships carrying everything from bananas to steel all help to make Southampton the fastest-growing port in the UK.

From their vantage point high up in a control tower in the heart of the docks, highly-skilled personnel maintain a permanent vigil in the communication and control hub that is the Vessel Traffic Services.

Because of the sheer scale of mar-ine activity in Southampton Docks and the surrounding water, their role is absolutely essential to the safe day-to-day operation of the port.

At the heart of the VTS complex is the wealth of experience and expertise of its personnel and the new electronic equipment which has just been installed in the high-rise control room.

Right next to 38/39 berth in the Eastern Docks, home of Southampton's most famous liner, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2, the controllers who man the sophisticated radar displays and communication controls, have an unparalleled view across Southampton Water.

From here the men and women of VTS monitor, oversee and regulate all vessel movements in the port and far down the Solent to the Nab Tower, as well as co-ordinate the team of pilots who board vessels outside Southampton Water to escort them into the docks.

A range of closed-circuit television cameras placed strategically around the port also feed information into the control room as ships manoeuvre alongside their berths.

The cameras are also used to scan the water for potential problems, such as jet skiers or small dinghies, that could be in the path of much bigger vessels.

VTS's main priority is to ensure the safety of the port and the surrounding waterways, as well as all users of the water in the area.

Divided up into three shifts a day, at any one time VTS is manned by a duty officer and three assistants, along with a berthing officer, three launches and nine pilots.

VTS officer David Stewart-White helped with the installation of the new equipment which makes Southampton one of the most up-to-date centres of its kind in the country.

He said: "By last year our previous equipment had become obsolete and we wanted to step up the coverage of the area with four brand new radar."

"Previously, two radar covered the port's area and approaches. The extra equipment provides a better picture of what is going on and enables the port to push out its radar coverage in view of the increased traffic and responsibilities of managing a safe harbour.

"For the first time, the port has invested in CCTV cameras at various points along Southampton Water to enable us to see everything, which is of immense benefit, particularly during the busy yachting season.

"Another major advancement is the ability to digitally record the radar, radio and CCTV data and play it back as real-time footage at a later date.

"A new integrated computer management and radar system also means people on duty can access a wealth of information much more quickly, assisting in the safe and efficient management of vessel movements.

"The investment made by Associated British Ports means that Southampton now has the latest radar systems and technology enhancing the safe navigation of one of Britain's busiest waterways.''