A COMPANY that provides piloting services for ships has warned owners and masters that the risk of accidents on the seas is growing.

Middlesbrough's Deep Sea and Coastal Pilots said that bigger ships, tighter schedules and smaller crews meant the UK waters were becoming more hazardous.

"The kind of collisions and accidents we have seen in recent years have put the issue of safety in both the public and the private spotlight," said managing director Pat Brooks.

He said pressure on the modern ship's master was extreme, adding: "They are operating in some of the most congested shipping areas in the world, with crews who may have no previous knowledge of European waters and, perhaps, not even adequate language skills."

Members of the House of Lords have urged the Government to consider taking further measures in busy sea lanes after a car freighter sank in the English Channel after a collision and was then struck by another vessel.