Cockroach-infested cruise liner impounded
Hundreds of holidaymakers have been forced to leave a cruise liner in Dover because it was infested with cockroaches and had 32 serious faults.
Around 600 tourists left the Ocean Glory 1 after an inspection discovered missing fire extinguishers and leaking generators.
Dover Marine Office surveyor Alan Morgan said the ship's condition was among the worst he had seen.
Alarmed passengers were warned by others who had been on a previous journey from Lisbon not to get on the 50-year-old liner.
On the voyage from Portugal, the ship had apparently broken down five times, drifted for three hours in the Bay of Biscay, and had no power or lighting for that time.
Mr Morgan said: "I would not have sailed on it myself. She was a potential hazard.
"There were things like fire extinguishers missing, fuel leaking from generators and an infestation of cockroaches.
"We do quite a lot of cruise ships and without exception they are very tightly run and have very few problems but I have never seen so many problems as on this one."
The owner, Cruise Holdings Maritime Company, is based in Athens and the ship is registered in Panama.
Mr Morgan added that he had been tipped off about the vessel several months before and was monitoring it as it approached UK waters.
He received an anonymous phone call on Friday saying that the cruise liner was coming into Dover.
