A NORTH-EAST captain of a cargo ship and his crew threw planks of wood to repel Somali pirates.

The British-owned Boularibank was targeted by pirates aboard two skiffs in the Gulf of Aden.

Captain Peter Stapleton, of South Shields, together with his 31-strong crew and 11 passengers came under fire from sub-machine guns and a grenade launcher.

Captain Stapleton has been praised for manoevering the MV Boularibank, sailing from Malyasia to Hull, to safety during Tuesday's assault.

Firstly, they sprayed the two pirate boats using fire-hoses before hurling planks and logs at their attackers.

A maritime spokesman said: "The pirates didn't dare come too close for fear of being hit by heavy chunks of wood flying down from the deck."

And a spokesman for the ship owners Andrew Weir praised Capt Stapleton for his "textbook conduct".

He said: "The captain remained very calm. He zig-zagged the cargo vessel and picked up speed to create a bigger wash to keep the two smaller boats at bay.

"They then used timber on board to disperse the boats which then made-off, no doubt to look for other targets."

A Russian warship nearby had been alerted to launch a rescue helicopter,but it was not needed.