THE boss of a pilotage company is calling for ships' owners and masters to hire professional help when negotiating the UK's busy sea lanes.

Pat Brooks, managing director of Deep Sea and Coastal Pilots, in Middlesbrough, providing pilotage services in the Channel, North Sea, and British and northern European coastal waters, said: "When one thinks that the consequences of a collision or other kind of accident can run into many millions of pounds - not to mention the potential safety hazard - the relatively modest cost of using a pilotage service seems very good value indeed.''

Her call comes after a ship loaded with kerosene became the second to hit the wreck of the car ferry Tricolor in the English Channel.