A Russian ship has been detained after failing an inspection.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency found 12 defects on the Cambodian-flagged general cargo ship Piligrim 2 at Shoreham.

They included a heavily corroded extinguisher at the gangway and several more CO2 extinguishers with their horns missing.

An accommodation fire damper was found lying on the deck.

The crew was asked to carry out a fire drill but the masters and officers did not understand as they spoke almost no English.

The inspector had to write "fire drill" on a piece of paper in large letters and hold it up.

The drill was found to be below standard.

The team leader showed up in a fire suit wearing trainers and donned the breathing apparatus upside down with the waist strap around his neck which proceeded to choke him.

Another team member approached the engine room, the scene of the supposed blaze, but stopped halfway down the first ladder when he ran out of hose.

At that point the inspection was suspended and the vessel was detained.

Pat Dolby, head of Inspection Branch, said: "Safety on board all vessels is of paramount importance to us and this inspection revealed serious failings in the training and emergency preparedness of the crew."