Felixstowe opens new berths for giant container ships

The Port of Felixstowe will formally open the UK's first shipping berths capable of taking the next generation of giant container ships later.

The ships, which are due to arrive in 2013, can carry 18,000 containers.

But they need deeper water to dock, and bigger cranes to be unloaded than are needed for the current biggest ships.

Felixstowe, in Suffolk, says 1,500 new jobs will be created by its expansion plans - 680 directly employed by the port, with another 820 at suppliers.

Richard Scott reports.