Meridian Ship

It's been more than a year since the cargo ship the Hoegh Osaka was deliberately run aground on a sandbank in the Solent and it's been reported that the recovery cost ran into millions.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch says its report into the incident is at the consultation stage.

The 50 thousand tonne car carrier was stranded for 19 days before it was able to be towed to Southampton Docks.

The world's largest car carrier has arrived in Southampton as part of its maiden voyage.The Hoegh Target can carry 8,500 cars and has a deck space of 71,400 square metres - the size of 10 football pitches. It's owned by the same company of the ship that grounded in Southampton earlier in the year. But how safe is it? Our transport correspondent Mike Pearse reports.

The 'Matthew," a medieval replica ship has moored at Sandwich on its way back from the Jubilee Pageant on the Thames over the weekend. The boat was positioned at Tower Bridge for the celebrations.

The ships involved were the Gas Arctic, a Malta-registered gas tanker on passage from Tees to Portland, with 14 crew aboard, and the Spring Bok, a cargo ship, registered in the Netherlands, on passage from Amsterdam to Aruba in the Caribbean, with 22 crew aboard.

Dover Coastguard requested the launch of the Dungeness all weather lifeboat and asked for assistance from HMS Tyne. Phil Davies from Dover Coastguard says: “The vessels have both incurred damage above the water line but are fully capable of making their way to Portland where they will be inspected.”

Two ships on passage in the Dover Strait collided in poor visibility this morning. The ‘Gas Arctic’ tanker was on passage from Tees to Portland, with 14 crew aboard. The ‘Spring Bok’ cargo ship was on passage from Amsterdam to Oranjestad, Aruba, with 22 crew aboard.