Two held in North Sea ferry blaze drama

Police were last night continuing to hold two men following a fire on board a North Sea ferry which sparked a dramatic emergency rescue by RAF helicopters.

When passengers were eventually allowed off the King Seaways cruise ferry after it returned to North Shields, North Tyneside, some vowed never to sail again after their frightening experience.

A blaze, said to have been caused by a smoker, started in a cabin when the vessel was around 30 miles off the North Yorkshire coast at around 10.45pm on Saturday night.