British cruise passenger missing at sea

A British man is lost at sea after falling overboard from a cruise ship in the English Channel.

Emergency services from France and the UK were unable to find the passenger, who went missing from the Fred Olsen liner Balmoral yesterday morning, coastguards said.

Brixham Coastguard in Devon said the hunt was being led by authorities in France.

Searches were called off last night after it got dark, a spokesman said.

He added: "We have been assisting the French, who have been co-ordinating the search.

"We launched a helicopter and a British warship. The boat was on a three-week cruise and was due to dock in Dover."

The Balmoral, which carries 1,350 passengers, is the largest liner in the Fred Olsen fleet.

The ship, on a tour of the Adriatic, was reportedly in French waters when the alarm was raised at 9.30am.