P&O's Pride of Hull ferry passes safety inspection

The Pride of Hull is currently docked in Rotterdam

P&O's Pride of Hull ferry is safe to sail with passengers and cargo after passing an inspection, UK maritime authorities have said.

The vessel is docked in Rotterdam after sailing from Hull last week following P&O's decision to sack 800 workers in favour of lower-paid replacements.

It was cleared after an inspection while still in Hull, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said.

Its sister ship, Pride of Rotterdam, began sailing again on Saturday.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, MCA officers carried out the inspection on the Pride of Hull on 22 March.

Such inspections focus on testing the ability of crew members to handle emergencies, including fighting fires and mustering and evacuating passengers.

They also check that crews are properly trained to carry out their duties on board ships.

The Pride of Hull, which is classed as a foreign vessel and is registered in the Bahamas, is expected to restart its nightly crossing between Hull and Rotterdam on 4 April.

Countries where ships are flagged bear overall responsibility for their safety.

The Pride of Hull crew occupied the ship for five hours after the sackings were announced

More than 80 crew members in Hull were sacked without warning by P&O in a video call on 17 March.

The firings triggered a sit-in by the Pride of Hull crew who occupied the vessel in the city's King George Dock for more than five hours.

Protests were also held at the quayside.

P&O Ferries claimed that without the redundancies the business was "not sustainable" after losing £100m last year.

The Department for Transport said it did not support P&O's actions.

It said it would bring forward a package of measures to close loopholes and force companies operating in British waters to pay the national minimum wage.