A cargo ship carrying 6,000 tonnes of scrap metal and a JCB caught on fire near Southampton docks.

On Sunday at around 5am a fire started in hold five of the 200-meter-long Clipper Kythira, which was carrying 6,000 tonnes of scrap metal and a JCB.

The fire service, which has been tackling the blaze since Sunday, said that hold five has remained sealed.

At around 8.45am on Sunday, the fire service said that cooling had been suspended due to continued stable temperatures.

The fire service added that crews remain on scene and will continue to monitor the incident.

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Exterior scans showed temperatures within the hold have been dropping since the fire broke out on Sunday.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Fire and Rescue added: “A fire involving scrap metal broke out onboard a cargo ship at the Southampton Docks at around 5am Sunday morning.

“Firefighters from across Southampton, Eastleigh, Portsmouth, New Forest and Dorset attended throughout the day, and worked with onsite teams to tackle the incident using jets and the aerial ladder.

“The incident has been scaled down with one crew remaining on the scene to monitor the temperature and assist with cooling the ship.”