SEARCH LAUNCHED FOR PASSENGER MISSING FROM CRUISE SHIP IN DUNDEE

A major search operation has been launched for a passenger feared to have fallen from the MS Ambition, a cruise ship docked in Dundee. Ambassador Cruise Lines reported that the ship's captain raised the alarm after a man was reported missing before the vessel arrived in the city from Lerwick. The alarm was raised at approximately 08:35, roughly 36 nautical miles from Arbroath. Police Scotland said the missing man's next of kin had been informed and inquiries were ongoing.

The MS Ambition had completed a two-week tour of Shetland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. BBC Scotland News understands the passenger's luggage remained onboard and his bed had not been slept in; a passenger reported that tannoy announcements had repeatedly called a specific passenger's name on Friday morning. Those aboard were initially prevented from disembarking but were eventually permitted to leave the ship at approximately 11:30. Coastguard aircraft from Prestwick and Carlisle, alongside a commercial search and rescue helicopter, have been dispatched, together with lifeboat crews from Anstruther and Broughty Ferry and Coastguard rescue teams from Dundee, Arbroath and St Andrews.

Ambassador said the ship was following "stringent search and rescue protocols" and working with the coastguard and police. Forth Ports, which manages the Port of Dundee, confirmed it had been informed of the incident and was liaising with the ship and its owner. The MS Ambition was previously chartered by the Scottish government to provide temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees on the River Clyde.