Eight years on from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, for instance, and bottlenose dolphins in the area still showed signs of lung disease. Meanwhile, livelihoods in the North East could well be threatened, too as oil contamination has the potential to impact commercial fish populations as well as the shellfish industry.

“We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the destruction this industry causes,” said Tagholm. “Ending the era of Big Oil and building a future powered by clean, renewable energy is paramount, for UK seas, for our communities, and our future.”

It was initially reported that all those aboard both the MV Stena Immaculate oil tanker and the Solong cargo ship had been brought ashore, with one person hospitalized. However, the Solong’s owner – the shipping firm Ernst Russ – later said that a search was underway for a missing crew member, while its 13 other crew were safe.

This morning, HM Coastguard confirmed that the efforts to recover the missing crew member had been called off, following an “extensive search”. 

Matthew Atkinson, divisional commander for HM Coastguard, said: “36 crew members were taken safely to shore, one person was taken to hospital.

“One crew member of the Solong remains unaccounted for. After an extensive search for the missing crew member, sadly they have not been found and the search has ended.

“The two vessels remain on fire and coastguard aircraft are monitoring the situation. An assessment of any required counter-pollution response is being carried out by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.”

According to the ship tracking tool Vesselfinder the US-flagged tanker was at anchor at the time of the incident. It had departed from a Greek port in the Aegean Sea and was heading towards Hull, according to the Maritime Traffic website. The Solong was headed for Rotterdam.

New concerns have emerged that the Solong cargo ship was carrying highly toxic chemicals, including sodium cyanide – a “very toxic material” according to Paul Johnston, principal scientist at Greenpeace Research Labs. Talking to The Independent, he added: “It has been used in the past for poisoning fish deliberately.”

Toxic waste like this spilling into the North Sea could devastate marine life and sea birds.

Labour MP, Matthew Pennycook told Times Radio this morning that the Government was “alive to the potential impacts on the environment” adding that the “Maritime and Coastguard Agency are well equipped to contain and disperse any oil spills”.

“We don’t think air quality impacts are outside of normal levels, but we will keep the situation obviously under review,” he said. “It’s a fast-moving and dynamic situation, but all the necessary services are on the ground, both investigating and taking the immediate steps required.” 

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