Seven people detained after security incident on tanker off Isle of Wight

Seven people have been detained following a security incident on an oil tanker off the Isle of Wight.

Police said earlier that verbal threats had been made to the crew of the Nave Andromeda but no one had been reported injured.

The incident is now over.

Sky News' security correspondent, Alistair Bunkall, said UK special forces had boarded the vessel and got the situation under control.

He added that the operation had been "pretty swift" - what is known in military terms as a "flash to bang".

The SBS is based in Poole and this operation had been in its "back yard", Bunkall said.

Hampshire Police had requested military assistance to try and resolve the incident.

A Hampshire police spokesman said: "At 10.04am today (25 October) concerns were raised to police for the welfare of crew on board the Nave Andromeda - a vessel situated approximately six miles off the coast of Bembridge, Isle of Wight.

"The vessel had been travelling in the direction of Southampton.

"It was reported that a number of stowaways were on board, and they had made verbal threats towards the crew. No one has been reported injured."

It is understood that the 228-metre tanker had been expected to dock in Southampton at 10.30am on Sunday.

The Nave Andromeda had sailed from Lagos, Nigeria, on October 5, according to maritime tracking websites.

It is understood the port received contact from the ship but it had not been refused entry to the harbour.

Two coastguard helicopters were scrambled to the scene and were spotted circling the ship on Sunday afternoon, and an exclusion zone was set up in the area south of Sandown.

Richard Meade, managing editor of shipping news journal Lloyd's List, said he had received information that there were seven stowaways on board.

He said it was understood that the stowaways had been onboard since the ship left Nigeria, although it had also made anchorage stops in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands and south of Sant Nazaire, France.