THE crew of a boat which has been detained at Portland Port are being looked after by a seafarers' charity.

The MV Jireh was towed into the port at around 2.15am yesterday after suffering a power failure due to 'technical issues'.

Border Force officials, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and police were called to the ship, which had been anchored in the Channel Islands for several days before travelling to the Weymouth area. 

The former passenger ferry was originally due to travel from Norway to Senegal, the Guernsey Press reported.

Following an inspection by the MCA survey and inspection team the ship was detained yesterday.

The nine crew members who were on board the ship are now being looked after by the port and The Sailors' Society.

An MCA spokesman said the vessel will remain under detention "until it achieves full compliance with merchant shipping regulations."

Bill Reeves, CEO of the Portland Harbour Authority, said today: "“On Monday evening the captain of the MV Jireh requested entry to the port due to technical issues with his vessel and inclement weather.

"The port responded with permission to enter the harbour and the vessel was brought to a berth with the help of Quest Marine, arriving at berth at 2.15am on Tuesday.

"The vessel is now safely berthed in the port and her crew are being looked after by the port and Jonathan Bailiff of The Sailors’ Society.”  

The 45m-long ship first arrived in Weymouth on Saturday evening after travelling from Little Russel, a channel running between the isle of Herm and Guernsey, where it had seemingly been anchored for several days.

Dorset Police said yesterday that an operation at the port was being led by Border Force.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "Border Force assisted by Dorset Police is currently investigating an ongoing incident concerning a vessel at Portland Port."

The International Transport Workers Federation was made aware of the incident.

Formerly named Strandebarm, MV Jireh left Norway on October 28 and arrived off Guernsey on November 13, according to the Guernsey Press.

The newspaper said the vessel had been refused permission to dock in Jersey since it did not have a handling agent, and was also refused permission to dock at Guernsey's capital St Peter Port due to a lack of berths.

The Guernsey Press also reported that clothing and food supplied by the Red Cross and the local Co-op was ferried to the men on board while it was anchored in Russel.