Engine fire breaks out on ferry

A P&O spokesman said no one had been injured

A North Sea ferry was left drifting 50 miles (80.5km) from port after an engine fire broke out.

The Pride of Hull was returning from Rotterdam to Hull when the blaze started at about 0530 GMT.

Staff on the vessel, which had several hundred passengers and crew on board, put out the blaze, during which time the other engine was shut down.

A spokesman for P&O said no one had been injured and the ferry was due to arrive in Hull later on Tuesday.

He added: "There was a small engine fire on the Pride of Hull but it was very quickly extinguished.

"We shut down the other engine for a spell, it took around 15 minutes to deal with."