BARGE FORCED AGROUND AT SEAFORD

Trevor Cutler, Coastguard station officer at Newhaven, said the vessel had beached 400m to the west of Hope Gap steps at Seaford.

Last night a Polish tug that was trying to tow the vessel towards the Isle of Wight contacted the coastguards at Dover to say the tug had engine problems.

This morning at 7am, the tug was 14 miles south of Shoreham and had lost the barge.

The tug was only able to travel at 2 knots due to engine problems so Shoreham Lifeboat was launched.

Two crew members climbed aboard the drifting vessel and they tried to anchor it. Due to weather conditions, the anchor only slowed the barge down. The tug continued at 2 knots towards the west.

The crew were unable to get off the barge and had to be airlifted off. They were dropped off at Tidemills.

The barge got into trouble as gale force winds and high seas batter the coast.

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