A BID to rescue a cargo ship which ran aground off the Northumberland coast was postponed yesterday because of bad weather.
The 262ft MV Danio is grounded on rocks on the Farne Islands nature reserve about three miles from the mainland with 27 tonnes of diesel fuel on board and 1,500 tonnes of timber.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it is aware of the potential impact on the islands, which are home to about 80,000 pairs of seabirds and a large grey seal colony.
It was hoped an attempt to free the ship could have been made yesterday, but MCA spokesman Hugh Shaw said weather conditions were too bad.
He said: “The conditions have been getting steadily worse. The master and crew of six are still on board and are getting a bit of shelter where they are, but we are closely monitoring the situation.
“We are very conscious of the wildlife situation with the seal and bird population.”
RNLI experts say it could be two weeks before the tides are high enough to refloat the vessel.