Bob Seely, Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, has told Sky News the incident involving Liberian-registered tanker Nave Andromeda would be treated as a “marine counter-terrorism” incident.

He thought a meeting of the government Cobra emergency committee would be held to discuss the response.

He said he expected specialist units to be scrambled to handle the situation.

He told Sky News: “Despite being told not to drop anchor, the skipper has dropped anchor and the ship may be now under the control of stowaways on the ship.

“I suspect because of the nature of this it will be treated as marine counter-terrorism and the number of people in the UK who do that are very limited and the relevant units will be looking at options no doubt as to what we could be doing.”

Mr Seely told the County Press Islanders should be reassured the incident was some way off the coast and there was believed to be no oil on board.

He believed the captain was still in control of the ship. 

He promised to update Islanders when he had any more information.