Held UK cruise ship sailing home

The ship had been due to return to the UK on Saturday

A UK cruise ship stranded in Madeira for two days following a legal dispute is sailing back to Cornwall.

The Van Gogh, which has about 460 passengers on board, was held in the Portuguese port of Funchal on Tuesday over a £2 million debt.

But its owner, Club Cruise, says it has now reached an agreement with the administrators of the vessel's previous operator, Travelscope.

It is expected to arrive at its final destination, Falmouth, on Sunday.

Van Gogh Cruise Line Limited said in a statement it was "delighted" an agreement had been reached between the current owners and the administrators.

The deal received court approval and the vessel set off at 1830 GMT on Thursday.

The ship was on the final stage of a round-the-world cruise - stops included Egypt, the Caribbean, Ecuador, Tahiti and Cape Town - and had been due back in Falmouth on Saturday.

It set off on 4 January from Falmouth, after its previous operator Travelscope went into administration at Christmas.

The Madeira Islands are an autonomous region of Portugal.

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