Ship cleared as Legionella source

The Black Watch had been taking passengers on a 17-night cruise

A cruise liner on which two passengers were taken ill with Legionnaires' disease was not the source of the infection, its operator has said.

Two women aboard the Fred Olsen vessel, the Black Watch, who tested positive were among seven passengers who fell ill with flu-like symptoms on Friday.

They are now doing well in hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, said a spokesman.

The ship, which had stopped in Russia, Estonia and Finland, docked in Dover two days early.

The Swedish authorities took water samples from on-board showers, jacuzzis and pools.

The Health Protection Authority is now carrying out cleansing and super-chlorination of the ship in the Kent port.

"The vessel has not been found to be the source of the infection," said Fred Olsen spokeswoman Wendy Hooper-Greenhill.

The Black Watch - part of Ipswich-based Fred Olsen Cruise Lines - is next due to sail on Wednesday to Portugal.

No showers

The 756 passengers, who were mostly British, disembarked at Dover at about 2100 BST on Monday.

Breda Somers, from Kilkenny in Ireland, said: "After a meeting with the captain we were all asked not to have showers so we washed the old-fashioned way using a basin."

Passengers have been offered a 25% discount on the total cost of their holiday.

Two people went to hospital in Ashford, Kent, as a precaution on Monday night.

Dr Mathi Chandrakumar, from the Kent Health Protection Unit, has been on board the Black Watch while it is berthed at Dover.

"They've taken all the necessary steps on our advice and I'm satisfied everything is being done," he said.

The cleaning operation will involve full chlorination of the water system, and the ship's shower heads, saunas and swimming pools being sanitised.