A PASSENGER cruise boat crashed into the banks of the River Ouse in York, causing panic among the tourists on board.

But, fortunately, the crash, which happened upstream of Clifton Bridge yesterday morning, was not for real but part of an exercise designed to test the reactions of the emergency services if such an incident did happen.

Exercise Strand involved police and fire officers, along with City of York Council - plus 18 volunteers acting as passengers on board the Captain James Cook, provided by York Boat.

Joanna Finlay, 62, one of the volunteer passengers, said: "I got involved after I saw it advertised in The Press.

"They take people of all ages, You get to meet a tremendous range of people, and there is always a lot of laughter at the end of the day. Keeping the emergency services well trained is important. Let's face it, if there was an accident on the river, it wouldn't show York in a very good light."

The volunteers were all asked to perform certain roles. One was asked to drunkenly lock herself in the toilet and another was asked to start an argument with her husband.

The exercise was aimed at ensuring York was ready if the River Ouse ever suffered an incident along the lines of a tragedy which happened on the River Thames in London in 1989.

Then, a dredger collided with the Marchioness passenger boat, killing 51 people.

The Department of Transport inquiry that followed recommended that emergency services should have a multi-agency rescue plan in place wherever passenger boats operated.

City of York Council and the emergency services produced a plan for the Ouse in 1993, and the plan was tested yesterday in a live exercise for the first time in ten years.

Jack Woodhams, community engagement officer at the North Yorkshire Police, said: "Multi-agency work with the North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and the Maritime & Coastguard Service is very important, as we've all got the same aims. We're hoping to make mistakes today, and then we can learn from them."

Jim Breen, the emergency planning officer who ran the exercise, said afterwards: "The emergency services responded well. There were some minor teething problems, which we are now able to sort out.

"The public can feel reassured that the commercial boats, the emergency services and local authorities have a plan that will work when we need it."

Two main companies, Waterline and York Boats, provide tourist trips on the Ouse, as well as floating restaurants after dark.

While York Boats provided the boat that crashed, Waterline provided an observation boat.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to be an actor in police training exercises can phone Jack Woodhams on 01904 669123, or email jack.woodhams@northyorkpolice.pnn.police.uk