This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/lancashire/7229956.stm
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Beached ship tourists risk arrest | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
People who enter the exclusion zone around the stricken Riverdance ferry risk a fine or arrest, police said. | |
The ship, which is listing at about 50 degrees, has turned into a tourist attraction since running aground on Blackpool beach on Thursday. | |
HM Coastguard said onlookers straying too close during the salvage operation were putting themselves in danger. | |
Lancashire Police said they would step in to help the private security firm maintaining the 400m exclusion zone. | |
The Riverdance had been heading from Warrenpoint, County Down, to Heysham, Lancashire, last week when it was hit by a freak wave. | |
Twenty-three people were lifted to safety, including 19 crew and four passengers. | |
The area remains dangerous and unstable so people must remain cautious Insp Tim Newton, Lancashire Police | |
A salvage team is still working to refloat the vessel, which is carrying almost 1,200 tonnes of freight in lorry trailers and containers. | |
Concerns have been raised after sightseers were seen posing for photographs next to the angled ferry. | |
"They're walking out along the sand at low water," a coastguard spokesman said. | |
A spokesman for Seatruck Ferries, which owns the ship, said the ship moved in high tide on Monday, causing about six containers to fall off. | |
Lancashire Police are providing assistance to the salvage operation and are warning the public to stay clear and use a section of the promenade set aside for people to watch from a safe distance. | |
Salvage continues | |
Insp Tim Newton, of Lancashire Constabulary, said: "We've had huge numbers of visitors over the last week to see the spectacle. | |
"We have been working closely with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to facilitate the salvage operation and prevent people going onto the sand and out to the vessel. | |
"The area remains dangerous and unstable so people must remain cautious." | |
Anyone found in breach of the cordon will be asked to move on and if this request is refused, police say they could be issued with a fine. | |
If a person refuses to give details they will risk being arrested, the force said. | |
Salvage equipment is being lifted by crane on to the Riverdance in a bid to pump water into the empty ballast tanks to reduce the list. | |
The operation is likely to continue into Thursday when the prospects of refloating the vessel will be reviewed, said a spokesman for Seatruck Ferries. |
Previous version
1
Next version