A FISHING boat collided with a "bulk tanker" in the early hours of this morning.

The incident happened shortly after 3am, about 25 nautical miles off Selsey Bill.

RNLI lifeboat crews from Selsey were scrambled to the scene along with the HM Coastguard helicopter from Lee-on-Solent.

There were six people on board the fishing boat and 20 on the tanker.

In a statement issued this morning, HM Coastguard say there have been no reported injuries and all crew members are accounted for.

Damage caused to the tanker is "superficial" and the vessel has now continued on its way.

There is also only "minor" damage to the fishing boat, but RNLI crews are staying with the vessel "until they are certain it can make its own way back to port".

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s duty counter pollution team has been called as a precaution, but there have been no reports of pollution in the area as a result of the collision, the coastguard say.

Andrew Follows, senior maritime operations officer with HM Coastguard said: “We’re so thankful that this was a relatively minor collision and that no one has been injured.

“We sent the helicopter for safety overwatch while the lifeboat arrived.

"The RNLI lifeboat is staying with the fishing vessel until they and we are certain it can make its own way back to port.”

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has also been told.