It's a familiar story. A ship gets into trouble in the busy Channel lanes and the crew calls for help.

The ship turns out to be more or less a floating bomb, putting the lives of many people at risk.

That happened off Beachy Head at the weekend when fire broke out on the Wester Till, a cargo boat registered in Antigua with a Russian crew.

Firefighters had to work hard to stop 512 tonnes of burning paper getting near 20 tonnes of chemicals also being carried.

This old tub ran aground two years ago while carrying a cargo of acid.

There must be serious doubts about the competence of the crew and whether the ship is seaworthy.

International maritime law needs tightening up so all ships have to meet minimum standards before being registered.