A passenger suspected of starting a fire on board a ferry in the North Sea sparking an emergency evacuation has been detained by ship staff.
Crew members and passengers had to be winched off a North Sea ferry heading to Amsterdam after they breathed in smoke when the fire broke out 30 miles from land.
Ferry operator DFDS Seaways said six people in total were taken to hospital by helicopter, however the coastguard earlier said it was seven.
Inspector Andrew Dixon said: "It is unknown if the fire was started deliberately or accidentally.
"As a result of this incident the person suspected of causing the fire, or the person from the cabin where the fire occurred, be it deliberate or accidental, has been detained by ship staff."
The fire broke out in a passenger cabin around 10.45pm and was extinguished by 11pm.
Police arrive at the port after the ferry returned RAF helicopters from Leconfield near Hull and Boulmer, Northumberland were scrambled to the vessel along with RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Filey.
The 30,000-tonne ship arrived back at Newcastle ferry port around 4am and passengers are being kept on board while police investigate and carry out interviews.
Olivia Elliott, who was in a nightclub on the ferry when the alarm went off, told Sky News she "panicked" not knowing how serious the situation was.
"(It was) scary out there in the middle of the ocean. You've never been in that situation before - you don't know what to do."
She added: "The captain came on the tannoy and said we needed to evacuate to the outer deck because there had been a fire.
The ferrry changed its course towards land (Pic: www.marinetraffic.com) "We were outside for about 40 minutes before we were allowed to go back in."
Despite the emergency, she said most people remained calm.
Her stepfather, Stephen Phillips, waiting quayside, said he still had not been told how long passenger will be kept on board.
A spokeswoman for DFDS Seaways said 946 passengers and 127 crew members were on board the DFDS Seaways cruise ferry King Seaways, which was en route from Newcastle to Amsterdam.
"Fifteen passengers and eight crew members are reported to have suffered from smoke-related injuries," she said.
"They have been checked by a doctor on-board, and two passengers and four crew members have been taken ashore by helicopter for further medical assistance at a local hospital in the UK.
"We will ensure that passengers and crew affected by the incident will be offered psychological assistance as well as other assistance that might be needed."
A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "All helicopters and life boats involved have been stood down, however Humber Coastguard is in constant contact with the ferry and an RAF helicopter is on stand-by should it need further assistance."
According to the DFDS Seaways website, the 26-year-old vessel has room for over 1,500 passengers and 600 cars. It was renovated in 2006.
It offers entertainment including restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a casino.
:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.
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