The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Irish Coast Guard have both dismissed reports that the empty Russian ship Lyubov Orlova has been sighted in European waters.

The Russian cruise ship MV Lyubov Orlova disappeared shortly
after it left Canada en route to the Dominican Republic, in the
Caribbean, for scrapping.

Several newspaper reports have claimed that the ship has now reappeared,
floating towards the west coast of Ireland or south west coast of England.

The Plymouth Herald reported that the ‘ghost ship full of cannibal rats could be about to crash into the Devon coast’.

But this has been dismissed by coastguard agencies.

A spokesman for the MCA said: ‘We have received no reported sightings of the vessel since April last year – and there is no evidence to suggest it is still afloat.
 
‘Any ‘ghost ship’ entering European waters is highly likely to be reported, due to the large number of vessels passing through the area. We would then act accordingly.’

A spokesman for the Irish Coast Guard said: ‘There is no further action required by Ireland and there are no reports and sightings. Normal costal surveillance activities are carried out which are aware of the issue of the vessel.’

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