Stricken ship rescue operation

A ship which ran aground near a lighthouse in an important wildlife haven could remain stuck for another fortnight, if it is not shifted tomorrow.

The RNLI's Ian Clayton added that lower tides over the next two weeks would hamper any attempt to remove the Danio. Storms are also due to hit the area next week, so the skipper has filled the ballast tanks with sea water to make the vessel more stable.

Salvage crews are working out the best way to rescue a ship which ran aground near a lighthouse in an important wildlife haven.

The MV Danio was heading from Perth in Scotland, to Belgium, when it got caught on rocks in the Farne Islands. The six crew has spent the night aboard the ship, which lifeboat crews found had a metre-wide hole below the waterline on the port side near the bow.

The crew of an 80 metre long ship which ran aground near a lighthouse in an important wildlife haven will spend the night stuck onboard, an RNLI spokesman said.

The MV Danio was heading from Perth, Scotland, to Antwerp, Belgium, when it got caught on rocks in the Farne Islands, three miles off the Northumberland coast at 4.30am today.

The vessel, carrying timber, was not thought to be badly damaged and there were no reports of any fuel leak after she got stuck on the Blue Caps, close to the Longstone Lighthouse.

High tide this evening passed without any attempt to refloat the vessel, as salvage crews were keen to take their time and prepare a plan.

Ian Clayton, of the Seahouses RNLI, said the crew was still on board, and that meant lifeboat men were also standing close by at sea in case of any emergency.

The Seahouses lifeboat crew, which has been on scene for around 14 hours, was expected to be relieved by a crew from Berwick which will keep watch on the vessel overnight

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There are fears for grey seals and seabird populations on the Farne Islands after an 80-foot cargo ship ran aground in the early hours of this morning.

Andrew Douglas, who runs boat trips around the Farnes, said the ship "doesn't appear to be holed" but that we was concerned about the effects on local wildlife.

"It is worrying because all the birds are starting to return to the islands for the summer.

"We have 20,000 guillemots on the Farnes right now."

The islands are also home to puffins, around 6,000 grey seals and more than 20 bird species breed there.

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A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said there is a plant to re-float a cargo ship that has run aground off the Northumberland coast at high tide:

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