A man who started a fire on a North Sea ferry which resulted in six people being airlifted to safety has been jailed for 11 years.


Boden George Hughes, 26, of Sunderland, was drunk and smoking cannabis when he set fire to a pile of clothes, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The ferry, which had 946 passengers and 127 crew on board, was 30 miles north east of Flamborough Head, near Bridlington, when it was diverted back to the terminal.

The DFDS ferry had been sailing from North Shields to Amsterdam in December.

Six people had to be winched to safety, including a pregnant woman, and 27 required treatment for smoke inhalation, the court was told.

Hughes had admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and affray, after failing in an attempt to argue the court had no jurisdiction in his case because the incident took place at sea.

He received a nine year sentence for the ferry fire and two years for a separate conviction for conspiring to steal railway cable.