Students Banned From Ferry

A ferry company has refused to bring a group of British students home from France after they went on a drunken rampage on a crossing from Dover.

Around 200 students from two universities in Manchester caused damage to P&O's Spirit of France and frightened fellow passengers on the early morning service to Calais on Sunday 1st April.

A P&O spokeswoman said they were forced to take all non-university passengers to an area of the ship which is usually an exclusive lounge so they were "out of harm's way''.

It is understood the students had been drinking before they got on board. There was a fight in the bar and passengers also reported seeing some students exposing themselves.

The students were on their way to a ski trip in the Alps.

The spokeswoman said: "The company deplores the behaviour of this group of students, who were clearly drunk before they boarded the ship and whose actions on board were wholly unacceptable.

"P&O ferries has contacted both universities to advise that it will not be transporting these groups on their homeward voyage and to seek assurances that their behaviour is addressed.''

The company said it had reported the incident to the police.

Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester were not available for comment.