Press release: Graduate game developers win Government grants

Mochi Mode from Cardiff (University of South Wales) and Shuttershade Studios from Huddersfield (University of Huddersfield) are the winners of Tranzfuser, a graduate talent competition funded by the Government’s UK Games Fund, that saw startup video game studios from across the country battling it out for grants.

The two winning teams, both receiving £25,000, have joined the prestigious portfolio of professional games development studios working with the UK Games Fund community.

Matt Hancock, Creative Industries Minister, said:

The UK games industry is a fantastic success story and we want to see it continue to grow from strength to strength. The Tranzfuser programme is aimed at identifying and supporting the talented young games developers and the original and innovative games they are producing right here in the UK.

Last year’s Tranzfuser alumni went on to publish their own game and I wish this year’s winners the same success in turning their creativity into a reality for us all to enjoy.

Over the summer, Tranzfuser tasked 23 teams with just ten weeks to take their idea for a great game from concept to playable demo to be showcased in front of 80,000 games fans and a panel of expert judges at the UK’s most popular video games festival, EGX. The teams developed all manner of fun and innovative games, from single-player puzzles to multiplayer room-scale Virtual Reality experiences.

Awarded a grant of £5,000 from UKGF, the teams developed their games with invaluable support provided by a nationwide network of Tranzfuser Local Hubs based at some of the best universities for video game design and development.

Mochi Mode wowed the judges and public alike with their game of bright visuals and simple one touch gameplay that sees players controlling a herd of cows. The setting changes to different locations across the Wild West but the goal is the same: players must guide the herd to safety through a host of colourful obstacles in this fun arcade game.

Laura Wells, Team Leader at Mochi Mode said:

After graduating, it’s tough to know what steps will help you ‘breakthrough’ into the games industry. That was especially true for us with the aspiration to start up our own studio. Tranzfuser has given us guidance at a crucial point of our development. Most importantly, it has allowed us to make a little magic!

Shuttershade Studios is a team of graduates from the University of Huddersfield. The small group of four individuals created a virtual reality game, VR Party Ware, primarily consisting of a collection of various minigames. Players can compete globally through an online leader board system or locally with their own friends in a casual competitive environment.

Marcus Nichols from Shuttershade Studios said:

Winning Tranzfuser has had a life changing effect on both me and the entire Shuttershade Studios team. We’re now able to do our dream jobs which is to have very little sleep but to have a tonne of fun developing our own video games. It’s the most varied job that we’ve all had and we wouldn’t change it for the world.

New for 2017 is the Tranzfuser Accelerator, a unique programme where the runner-up teams from the competition receive tailor-made consultancy packages to give them the best chance of successfully applying to the UK Games Fund.

The UK Games Fund and Tranzfuser are both funded as part of the £4m UK Government programme of games development and talent funding announced in 2016, run by UK Games Talent and Finance Community Interest Company (UKGTF).

Paul Durrant, UKGTF’s founder, said:

All of the teams worked hard after securing their place on Tranzfuser 2017. Each of the 23 teams has put in a huge effort and each has benefitted significantly from real-world learning throughout. The winning teams are the ones that best managed the scope of their projects, had a shared creative objective across the team and better understood the target audience for their particular games.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

  1. Many startup studios lack the capital to help develop their ideas and attract private investment. Now in its second year, Tranzfuser was created to help bridge that gap and allow developers to take their ideas from the drawing board to production.
  2. The Mochi Mode studio is comprised of four members – team leader and designer Laura Wells, programmer Liam Jones, artist Thomas Woodward, animator Amy Baldwin and level designer Kevin Ho. They aim to develop small, engaging games for app markets.
  3. Also at the ceremony was an exclusive screening of the first ever Tranzfuser documentary; a broadcast-quality 30 minute long film charting the summer-long competition and the competitor’s journey from applicant to professional games developer.
  4. The Tranzfuser competition is unique in being a UK-wide talent programme linked directly to a prototype fund allowing new teams to benefit from grants and peer to peer interaction with a host of other early stage games development companies. 85% of the UK Games Fund and Tranzfuser’s spend to date has been outside London.
  5. Teams that secured support from UKGF in the first Tranzfuser in 2016 are now successful studios. Cold Sun Studios and Miracle Tea Studios are both working towards release of their funded projects.
  6. Outside of Tranzfuser, the UK Games Fund supports young start-ups who can apply for funding. Companies such as White Paper Games (based in Manchester) and Coatsink (based in Sunderland) are both excelling as established indie games developers.

Additional quotes

Since first being selected for funding, Coatsink has grown significantly with nearly 50 employees in the business and further growth plans to take that number up in the next couple of quarters. Their latest VR title, the critically-acclaimed Augmented Empire, was released in July.

Eddie Beardsmore, Chief Operations Officer at Coatsink said:

Coatsink expanded rapidly over the last year. Due to our current project roster of over a dozen titles – all in various stages of development – we’re looking to employ a further 15 to 20 developers by April next year.

We continue to develop for multiple platforms and recently announced a partnership with Nintendo to bring our much-loved platformer Shu to the Nintendo Switch later this year. The UK Games Fund has provided a huge amount of support for the studio and we wouldn’t be in this amazing position without them.

White Paper Games, a team of graduate colleagues who were supported by YEAR (the predecessor to the UK Games Fund) is doing incredibly well with the imminent release of a much-anticipated game The Occupation.

Pete Bottomley, Co-Founder of White Paper Games said:
> Working with the UKGF has been a great experience. The fund afforded us the additional time to push the quality and design of the game which ultimately allowed us to announce it in a strong position. This was instrumental to The Occupation’s early success and interest and without this, I don’t believe we would be in the position we are now. I can’t recommend and praise the fund enough.

The 23 participating teams and hubs this year were:

Teesside Launchpad, Teesside University (North East England)

Fox Byte Games


Futureworks Media School (North West England)

Broken Pixel Studios, Foxtrot 203


University of Bradford* (West Yorkshire) 


Gebba Games


University of Huddersfield, Enterprise Team (West Yorkshire)

Giant Games, Nocturnals, Shuttershade Studios

Sheffield Hallam University (South Yorkshire) 


Final Forge, Inside Out Games, Grim Inc 


Brunel University (London)

A Loaded Teaspoon, Drift, Slime Time Studios

Slime Time Studios 
Eastern Enterprise Hub (South East England) 


IndieByte

Wrexham Glyndwr University (North Wales) 


Ethereal, Round Square Studios, Static Shell Studios 


University of South Wales (South Wales) 


Mochi Software, Dark Planet Studios 


Filthy Fresh 
Northern Ireland Screen (Northern Ireland) 


No Piknik


Abertay University (East Scotland)

Pocket Sized Hands

Glasgow Caledonian University (West Scotland)

Pioneer Games

Link: Press release: Graduate game developers win Government grants
Source: Gov Press Releases

Press release: Multi-agency exercise to test temporary barriers at Beales Corner in Bewdley

The Environment Agency’s field team, along with support from Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, Bewdley Town Council and other partners, will be testing out the deployment of temporary flood barriers and the local community flood plan.

The exercise, which will start at 09:00am, will provide an opportunity to test our barrier deployment plan and procedures in this training exercise. We will be testing our working arrangements with partners and the local Community Flood Group, so the barriers can be quickly and safely erected when needed during a flood, with minimum disruption to residents and businesses.

Pedestrians and traffic will be unable to use this section of road and pathway between Millside Court to where it joins with Kidderminster Road, via the Stourport Road. Access to Bewdley Bridge and the town will remain fully accessible by using the Kidderminster Road.

Mark Bowers, Flood Risk Manager said:

This is a test of our operational equipment and local community flood plan. Although we have carried out numerous barrier deployment exercises at our training depots, doing it on location will give our field team invaluable experience.

It’s important to remember that we can never protect 100% against flooding, and we can’t guarantee that specific communities will always have access to temporary barriers.

Local residents and businesses should be prepared by checking their flood risk, signing up to flood warnings and finding out what they can do to protect themselves and their property by visiting the Prepare for Flooding page on GOV.UK or calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

Nick Farress, Bewdley Town Council Clerk added:

This will be a vital practice run to test our new community led flood plan which has been developed to support the Environment Agency in retaining the temporary barrier at Beale’s Corner. The Town Council are very grateful to our band of volunteers who have put themselves forward to help with this vital work”.

The temporary barrier deployment is also being supported by Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service who is a key partner in the project. Wyre Forest Station Commander, Daryl Justice, said:

Our involvement with the Bewdley Flood Barrier response is new arrangement that will see our Firefighters add even more value to the Wyre Forest community.

When flooding is predicted our on-call firefighters will be given a period of notice which will minimise the impact on their primary employment and, although deployed under the direction of the Environment Agency, they will remain available for life threatening emergencies.

This is one of the first initiatives of its type in the UK and is a great example of how fire crews can add value in other areas. It also supports Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service’s wider vision of ‘Saving More Lives’.

Environment Agency staff and Community Flood Group members will be available during the exercise to provide the public with information about access restrictions, alternative routes and general flood advice. The exercise is likely to conclude around 13:00pm.

Link: Press release: Multi-agency exercise to test temporary barriers at Beales Corner in Bewdley
Source: Environment Agency

Press release: Bees’ Needs Champions awards celebrate pollinator heroes

A ‘Bee City’ and a successful reintroduction scheme for the short-haired bumblebee are among the innovative projects highlighted today by Defra Minister Lord Gardiner as inspirational examples of action to protect our pollinators.

The annual Bees’ Needs Champions awards, hosted at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, celebrated 17 bee boosting projects from volunteers, schools, charities and councils across the country which are helping pollinators thrive both in the countryside and in our towns and cities.

From buzzing bumble bees to beautiful butterflies, the UK’s 1,500 species of pollinators play a crucial role, helping our flowers, fruit trees and crops to grow and contributing £400-680million per year due to improved productivity.

Speaking at the Bees’ Needs Champions Awards, Minister for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity Lord Gardiner said:

We must all be thankful for our essential pollinators who do such vital work on our behalf, flying from crop to crop, tree to tree, helping us to grow our food. The champions I had the pleasure to meet today are doing exceptional things to return the favour and look after our pollinators. We must not leave them to it. We can all play a part.

Whether it is leaving grass uncut to give bees a home over winter, or inspiring young people to be the pollinator protectors of the future, our combined efforts make a real difference.

Among the champion projects creating a buzz were the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s short-haired bumblebee re-introduction scheme and the Secret Garden project in Salisbury with their ‘Bee City’ and ‘Bee Trail’.

Goldthorpe Primary School in Barnsley and St Albans Primary School in Havant also featured for their pollinator-encouraging enterprises, including building bee hotels, creating wildlife meadows and campaigning in the local community. St Albans school has set up a ‘pollinator promise’ to get the local community involved, too.

Outdoor education teacher at St Albans Primary School, Julie Newman, said:

By working together as a community, Pollinator Promise is about inspiring others to give hungry and homeless bees food and shelter. Each small individual change adds up to make a big difference to pollinators and people.

Friends of the Earth Bee Cause campaigner, Paul de Zylva, said:

This year’s Bees’ Needs Champions show how anyone anywhere can help our bees and other vital pollinators not just to survive but to thrive.

The ten year National Pollinator Strategy is now in its fourth year and relies on action by businesses, community groups, farmers, land owners and local councils to improve conditions for pollinators. Doing so is essential to restore nature across the nation.

With winter fast approaching, bees need our help more than ever to provide them with the food and shelter they need to survive the cold.

Everyone can follow our three top tips on how we can all help pollinators this winter. You do not have to be an expert gardener to make a difference: from installing urban window boxes to planting the right bulbs, everyone can play their part to ensure bees have food and a home.

  • Plant flowers, shrubs and trees that thrive in winter. The evergreen mahonia is excellent winter food for bees, while the pendant bells of winter flowering clematis can give pollinators a sugary energy boost. Ivy plants are also an ideal source of food for bees in late autumn – avoid cutting them down.
  • Leave suitable places for hibernation undisturbed. Letting areas of a lawn grow long until the spring can provide a hibernation home while cool, north-facing banks are ideal places for bees to burrow. The hollow tubes of dead stems of plants in borders can also serve as a great nesting spot.
  • Planting early flowering bulbs like crocus, primrose, snowdrop or coltsfoot that flower in February and March to help support bees and pollinators looking for an early feed. Winter is also the perfect time to plant bee-friendly trees, such as acacia, blackthorn and hazel.

Link: Press release: Bees’ Needs Champions awards celebrate pollinator heroes
Source: Gov Press Releases

Press release: Lorry driver with foot on dashboard among 4,000 caught by unmarked HGV cab

The driver, stopped by Humberside Police, was travelling from the M18 onto the M62 near Goole.

The footage is available to watch at

Another driver pulled over by Devon and Cornwall Police was found to have sent 10 replies to 10 texts within one hour; a driver in Surrey was seen trying to put toothpaste on a toothbrush; and a driver in the East Midlands was spotted steering with his knees while he ate his lunch and used his mobile phone.

The offenders were among more than 4,000 dangerous drivers on England’s roads caught by a single unmarked HGV cab over the past two years.

Latest statistics show that mobile phone use is a factor in an average of two deaths on the roads every month, with 124 people losing their lives over the past 5 years and 521 suffering a serious injury.

Richard Leonard, Highways England’s Head of Road Safety, said:

The HGV cab, which is funded by Highways England, has been patrolling motorways and major A roads over the past couple of years with the aim of improving road safety.

We’ve found that the vast majority of drivers are sensible behind the wheel but a few have got into bad habits, or are simply ignoring the law and putting themselves and others at risk.

It’s shocking that around two thirds of the drivers that were stopped were using their phones when the statistics show that mobile phone use contributes to two deaths every month on the roads.

The footage of the driver with his foot up on the dashboard is particularly alarming, and I dread to think what would have happened if he had needed to brake suddenly. We will continue to use the cab to tackle deaths and serious injuries and to encourage people to improve how they drive.

The elevated position of the cab allows police officers to film unsafe driving behaviour by pulling up alongside vehicles on motorways and major A roads. Drivers are then pulled over by police cars following behind.

Nearly two thirds of the drivers who were stopped were illegally using a mobile phone while driving, putting themselves and others at risk.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Roads Policing, Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said:

Police forces are committed to keeping our roads safe and partnership with Highways England is absolutely crucial for that, as we can see from the thousands of offences detected by the HGV cab. Together with targeted local action by police officers, this has become an important element of our intelligence-led operations against dangerous driving.

Driving whilst distracted is completely unacceptable and police are also making use of the tougher new penalties to stop this dangerous behaviour by ensuring that offenders face the full weight of law.

People have to think about the consequences of their actions – a moment’s distraction can change innocent lives. It is never a risk worth taking.

Image of driver with foot on the dashboard

In total, 28 police forces have taken part in the HGV cab safety initiative since it began in April 2015, pulling over 4,176 drivers in relation to 5,039 offences.

Officers gave verbal advice to 388 drivers, issued 838 fixed or graduated penalty notices, and filed 3,318 traffic offence reports – usually requiring attendance at a driver education course. There were also 113 prosecutions for more serious offences.

Reasons for stopping drivers included:

  • using mobile phones – 2,508
  • not wearing seatbelts – 901
  • not in proper control of vehicles – 253
  • speeding – 249

Earlier this year, the government doubled the penalty for drivers caught using their phones at the wheel. Motorists now receive 6 points on their licence and a £200 fine – up from the previous 3 points and £100 fine.

A new THINK! road safety video was also launched last month, directed by the team behind the video for Pharrell Williams’s hit song Happy, to highlight the dangers of using your phone while driving.

It uses innovative filming, is shot in the style of a music video with an edgy soundtrack from celebrated musician Aphex Twin, and includes numerous pink kittens to highlight how much drivers miss if they are distracted by looking at their handheld phone.

The video is available to watch at

More details about the law on mobile phone use are available the Using mobile phones when driving page.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.


Link: Press release: Lorry driver with foot on dashboard among 4,000 caught by unmarked HGV cab
Source: Gov Press Releases

Press release: Rare Ben Jonson book at risk of leaving the UK

Arts Minister John Glen has placed a temporary export bar on a rare book with unique annotations to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country.

Workes, an annotated collection of writings by Ben Jonson, is at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £48,000.

Ben Jonson (1572-1637) is hailed as the most important writer of the English Renaissance after Shakespeare, having lived and worked in an age of great social change that produced some of the finest works of English literature.

This extraordinarily rare volume is the only known example of a document showing how a play by Ben Jonson was prepared for performance. Material that tells us about the performance of pre-Restoration plays is extremely scarce.

This volume occupies a unique place among surviving materials because of the nature and range of its annotations to Epicoene, or The Silent Woman – including stage directions, details of props, and textual corrections – which collectively do not fall into any category previously known to scholars of seventeenth-century theatre. The volume is therefore of outstanding interest to the study of English theatrical history.

A product of a period when plays were seen not as finished pieces, but as perpetual works in progress, this volume has the potential to change scholars’ understanding of how plays were transmitted from the page to the stage and back again.

Arts Minister John Glen said:

This fascinating book shows how Ben Jonson’s works evolved and were translated to the stage.

I hope that we can keep it in the UK to enrich the study of English theatrical history and learn more about the performances of his work.

The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by The Arts Council.

RCEWA member Peter Barber said:

The annotations in this volume shed uniquely detailed light on how one of the hit comedies of the seventeenth century might actually have been performed.

Samuel Pepys thought The Silent Woman ‘the best comedy that ever was wrote’ and this book enables us to go the theatre with him. It must remain in this country.

The RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the annotated volume’s outstanding significance for the study of English theatre in the seventeenth century and, in particular, for the study of Ben Jonson’s plays in performance.

The decision on the export licence application for the book will be deferred until 5 February 2018. This may be extended until 5 May 2018 if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of £48,000.

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the book should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.

A photo of the book can be downloaded via our flickr site.

ENDS

For media information contact:
Yasmin Kaye
Senior Communications Officer
Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport
Tel: 0207 211 6489
Email: yasmin.kaye@culture.gov.uk

Notes to editors

  1. Details of the book are as follows:
    A second edition of volume 1 of Ben Jonson, The Workes of Benjamin Jonson (first published c1620; this edition 1640, published in London by Richard Bishop to be sold by Andrew Crooke). The volume has been rebound in plain sprinkled calf, probably around 1900. It measures (cm) 30 x 19 x 6. There are some small tears, repairs, and staining, but the book is generally in good condition.
  2. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by The Arts Council, which advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
  3. The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. www.artscouncil.org.uk.

Link: Press release: Rare Ben Jonson book at risk of leaving the UK
Source: Gov Press Releases

Press release: £5 million B road opens as A556 bypass legacy

A £5 million upgrade of the old A556 between Knutsford and Bowdon in Cheshire has officially been handed to local communities as a new B road – complete with a dedicated route for the area’s cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.

image showing Cheshire East councllors and the A556 project
Left to right – Cheshire East councllors Olivia Hunter and Jamie Macrae, Tatton MP Esther McVey, Highways England’s Tim Gamon (delivery director for the North West) and A556 project manager Paul Hampson, and Richard Stuart from Costain.

Highways England has converted the old A556 Chester Road – which has been replaced by the £192 million Knutsford to Bowdon bypass – into the B5569, a new 5.4km B road which will now be operated by Cheshire East Council.

The road was formally ‘detrunked’ and handed over to the council at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony near Mere crossroads this morning, attended by key officials from Highways England, Cheshire East Council, parish councillors and Tatton MP Esther McVey.

Highways England project manager Paul Hampson said:

This is a significant milestone for the Knutsford to Bowdon project – a result of our determination to deliver a lasting legacy for local people following the completion of the new dual carriageway in March.

image showing Bucklow Hill and Mere junctions
The conversion work includes new arrangements at Bucklow Hill (above) and Mere junctions

Su Russell, Chairlady of CycleKnutsford, said she was delighted the group had been invited to the opening of what she described as a ‘landmark’ designated cycleway – the first in Cheshire – and hoped it would lead the way to further cycling initiatives in the county.

She said:

Highways England and its main contractor Costain have kept CycleKnutsford informed throughout the process and taken into consideration cyclists and the environment generally at every possible opportunity.

Image showing new cycle friendly green route and cyclists
Thumbs up for the new cyclist-friendly green route from CycleKnutsford (Su Russell, chair, centre)

CycleKnutsford members can’t wait to get out on their bikes and explore the new safe segregated cycleway.

Since the new A556 opened to drivers in March, work to convert the old road has included:

  • turning the old northbound 2 lane carriageway into a dedicated, segregated green route for pedestrians, cyclists and horses riders – 4 metres wide and separated from the new B road by a wide border planted with a wild flower mix
  • converting the old 2 lane southbound carriageway into a new B road with as single lane in each direction
  • installing brand new drainage along the new route as well as totally resurfacing the re-arranged layout
  • providing totally new junction layouts at Bucklow Hill/Chapel Lane and Mere junctions giving priority to the A5034 and A50 traffic
  • installing a signalised Pegasus crossing – specifically designed to assist horse riders – at the junction between the green route and the A50 at Mere
Image showing Pegasus system
The green route even has a Pegasus system to allow safer crossing over junctions for horseriders

The green route even has a Pegasus system to allow safer crossing over junctions for horseriders

Mr Hampson said:

We would like to thank local people for their patience since March when the conversion work started in earnest. We hope they agree the new dedicated route for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders as well as the new single carriageway B road and new junction arrangements at Bucklow Hill and Mere have been well worth the wait.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.


Link: Press release: £5 million B road opens as A556 bypass legacy
Source: Gov Press Releases

Press release: FOREIGN FLAGGED SHIPS UNDER DETENTION IN THE UK DURING OCTOBER 2017

During October, there were four new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port. Six vessels remained under detention from previous months. A total of eight vessels remain under detention at the end of October.

  1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.

  2. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.

  3. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, a deficiency may be raised. If any of their deficiencies are so serious they have to be rectified before departure, then the ship will be detained.

  4. All deficiencies should be rectified before departure if at all possible.

  5. When applicable, the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on Mandatory Surveys for the safe operation of regular Ro-Ro ferry and high speed passenger craft services (1999/35/EU).

Notes on the list of detentions

  • Full details of the ship.
    The accompanying detention list shows ship’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) number which is unchanging throughout the ship’s life and uniquely identifies it. It also shows the ship’s name and flag state at the time of its inspection.
  • Company.
    The company shown in the vessel’s Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or if there is no SMC, then the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the safety of the ship at the time of inspection.
  • Classification Society.
    The list shows the Classification Society responsible for classing the ship only.
  • Recognised Organisation.
    Responsible for conducting the statutory surveys: and issuing statutory certificates on behalf of the Flag State
  • White (WL), Grey (GL) and Black lists (BL) are issued by the Paris MoU on 01 July each year and shows the performance of flag State.

SHIPS DETAINED IN OCTOBER 2017

Vessel Name: APELLA

GT: 662

IMO: 7607613

Flag: Sierra Leone (Black List)

Company: 4M Lojistir Hizmetieri Ltd

Classification Society: PSCO

Recognised Organisation: PSCO

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: PSCO

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: PSCO

Date and Place of Detention: 27th October 2017 at Plymouth

Summary: Twenty deficiencies with eighteen grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
01137 – Civil liability for Bunker oil pollution damage cert Missing Yes
01139 – Maritime Labour Certificate Missing Yes
01106 – Document of Compliance Missing Yes
01122 – International ship security certificate Missing Yes
01113 – Minimum Safe Manning Document Entries missing Yes
01123 – Continuous Synopsis Record Invalid No
01209 – Manning specified by the Minimum Safe Manning document Not as required Yes
01214 – Endorsement by flagstate Missing Yes
07110 – Fire fighting equipment and appliances Not properly maintained No
05118 – Operation of GMDSS Lack of familiarity Yes
10112 – Electronic charts (ECDIS) Not as required Yes
10116 – Nautical publications Missing Yes
18201 – Fitness for duty – work and rest hours Not as required Yes
04108 – Muster List Not updated Yes
01326 – Stability information booklet Not approved Yes
01315 – Oil record book Entries Missing Yes
11116 – Distress flares Expired Yes
13102 – Auxiliary engine Not as required Yes
11104 – Rescue boats Not properly maintained Yes
07105 – Fire doors/opening in fire-resisting divisions Missing Yes

This vessel was still detained on 31st October 2017

Vessel Name: BLUE ALFA

GT: 1887

IMO: 7921007

Flag: Denmark (White List)

Company: Blue Star Line

Classification Society: RINA

Recognised Organisation: RINA

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DNV GL

Date and Place of Detention: 29th October 2017 at Aberdeen

Summary: Fifteen deficiencies with five grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
02109 – Permanent means of access Not properly maintained No
10105 – Magnetic compass Not as required No
10105 – Magnetic compass Not as required No
10105 – Magnetic compass Not as required No
10104 – Gyro compass Inoperative No
18408 – Electrical Not as required No
01101 – Cargo ship safety equipment (including exemption) Not properly filled No
10109 – Lights, shape, sound signals Inoperative No
01201 – Certificate – for master and officers Missing Yes
10133 – Bridge operation Lack of familiarity Yes
10110 – Signalling lamp Missing No
07125 – Evaluation of crew performance (fire drill) Lack of training Yes
07125 – Evaluation of crew performance (fire drill) Lack of training Yes
18201 – Fitness for duty, work and rest Unfit for duty No
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes

This vessel was still detained on 31st October 2017

Vessel Name: SENSEI

GT: 13865

IMO: 9084229

Flag: Panama (White List)

Company: Karlog Shipping Co Ltd

Classification Society: NKK

Recognised Organisation: NKK/QRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV GL/QRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: QRS

Date and Place of Detention: 29th October 2017 at Aberdeen

Summary: Eighteen deficiencies with six grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
10127 – Voyage or passage plan Not as required Yes
10114 – Voyage data recorder (VDR)/Simplified Voyage data recorder (S-VDR) Not as required Yes
05114 – Reserve source of energy Not as required Yes
11124 – Embarkation arrangement survival craft Not properly maintained Yes
11102 – Lifeboat inventory Not as required No
04109 – Fire drills Lack of control Yes
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes
18305 – Hospital accommodation (Sickbay) Not as required No
03108 – Ventilators, air pipes, casings Damaged No
10138 – BNWAS Inadequate No
11131 – On board training and instructions Lacking of training No
10109 – Lights, shapes, sound-signals Not as required No
05116 – Operation/maintenance Not as required No
07106 – Fire detection and alarm system Not as required No
11117 – Lifebuoys incl. provision and disposition Not as required No
10126 – Record of drills and steering gear tests Not as required No
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions Not as required No
01140 – Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (Part I and II) Invalid No

This vessel was released on 20th October 2017

Vessel Name: RUYTER

GT: 2528

IMO: 9374674

Flag: Netherlands (White List)

Company: V D Innovation BV

Classification Society: BV

Recognised Organisation: BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: RINA

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: RINA

Date and Place of Detention: 15th October 2017 at Warrenpoint

Summary: Eight deficiencies with four grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
04102 – Emergency fire pump and its pipes Inoperative Yes
02106 – Hull damage impairing seaworthiness Holed Yes
13102 – Auxiliary engine Insufficient power Yes
13102 – Auxiliary engine Not as required No
10138 – BNWAS Malfunctioning No
10117 – Echo sounder Inoperative No
10135 – Monitoring of voyage or passage plan Not as required No
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes

This vessel was released on 26th October 2017

DETENTIONS CARRIED OVER FROM PREVIOUS MONTHS

Vessel Name: REGGAE

GT: 1567

IMO: 8500408

Flag: Panama (White list)

Company: Voda Denizcilik Ve Districet Ltd

Classification Society: NKK

Recognised Organisation: NKK

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: National Shipping Adjuster Inc

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: NKK

Date and Place of Detention: 27th June 2017 at Leith

Summary: Nineteen deficiencies with four grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
07112 – Emergency escape breathing device and disposition Not as required No
18425 – Access/structural features (ship) Missing equipment No
04109 – Fire drills Lack of training No
04108 – Muster List Incomplete No
10105 – Magnetic compass Not readable No
09232 – Cleanliness of engine room Insufficient No
15150 – ISM Not as required No
03108 – Ventilators, air pipes, casing Damaged No
02101 – Closing devices/watertight doors Inoperative No
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions Not as required No
18203 – Wages Not according SEA Yes
11117 – Lifebuoys incl. provision and disposition Missing No
02105 – Steering gear Not as required No
11108 – Inflatable liferafts Insufficient No
01220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA) Not as required Yes
18314 – Provision quantity Insufficient Yes
18204 – Calculation and payment of wages Not according SEA Yes
10116 – Nautical publications Not updated No
13102 – Auxiliary engine Missing No

This vessel was still detained on 31st October 2017

Vessel Name: SECCADI

GT: 1596

IMO: 9123295

Flag: Panama (White list)

Company: Voda Gemi Isletmeciligi AS

Classification Society: NKK

Recognised Organisation: National Shipping Adjusters Inc

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: NKK

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: NKK

Date and Place of Detention: 20th June at Runcorn

Summary: Eleven deficiencies with six grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
12220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA) Not as required Yes
18203 – Wages No records Yes
18203 – Wages Missing Yes
18203 – Wages Not according to SEA Yes
18203 – Wages Not adequate Yes
18201 – Fitness for duty – work and rest hours Not as required No
18313 – Cleanliness Signs of vermin No
18314 – Provision quantity Insufficient Yes
18308 – Furnishing Damaged No
18302 – Sanitary Facilities Damaged No
15150 – ISM Not as required No

This vessel was released on 10th October 2017

Vessel Name: TAHSIN

GT: 1598

IMO: 9055187

Flag: Panama (White list)

Company: Voda Denizcilik IC Dis Tacaret Ltd

Classification Society: NKK

Recognised Organisation: NKK/NASHA

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: NKK

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: NKK

Date and Place of Detention: 2nd June at Sharpness

Summary: Twelve deficiencies with eight grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
18327 – Ventilation (working spaces) Inoperative Yes
10116 – Nautical publications Missing Yes
01214 – Endorsement by flagstate Missing No
01220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA) Invalid Yes
11128 – Line-throwing appliance Expired No
11129 – Operational readiness of lifesaving appliances Expired No
01202 – Certificate for rating for watching Missing Yes
18203 – Wages Not according SEA Yes
10111 – Charts Missing Yes
05106 – INMARSAT ship earth station Not as required Yes
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes
03104 – Cargo & other hatchways Damaged No

This vessel was still detained on 31st October 2017

Vessel Name: MALAVIYA SEVEN

GT: 3001

IMO: 9087312

Flag: India (Grey List)

Company: GOL Offshore Ltd

Classification Society: IRS

Recognised Organisation: IRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: IRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: IRS

Date and Place of Detention: 5th October 2016 at Aberdeen

Summary: Five deficiencies with five grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire resisting divisions Not as required Yes
07113 – Fire pumps and its pipes Not as required Yes
18203 – Wages Missing Yes
01220 – Seafarers employment agreement (SEA) Invalid Yes
18204 – Calculation and payment of wages No records Yes

This vessel was still detained on 31st October 2017

Vessel Name: SEA TRIDENT

GT: 964.

IMO No: 7393169.

Flag: PANAMA (white list)

Company:

Classification Society: Expired

Recognised Organisation: Expired

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC:

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC:

Date and Place of Detention: 17 June 2016, West Cowes

Summary: Seventeen deficiencies with seventeen grounds for detentions

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
01101 – Cargo ship safety equipment cert Expired Yes
01102 – Cargo Ship safety construction cert Expired Yes
01104 – Cargo ship safety radio cert Expired Yes
01108 – Loadline cert Expired Yes
01117 – IOPP (International Oil Pollution Prevention cert Expired Yes
01119 – International Sewage Pollution Prevention cert Expired Yes
01124 – International Air Pollution Prevention cert Expired Yes
01137 – Civil liability for bunker oil pollution damage cert Expired Yes
01199 – Other certs (Certificate of class) Expired Yes
01201 – Certificates for master and officers Missing Yes
10111 – Charts Not updated Yes
10116 – Publications Nautical Not updated Yes
11108 – Inflatable liferafts Expired Yes
11116 – Distress flares Missing Yes
07109 – Fixed fire fighting extinguishing installation Not as required Yes
07110 – Fire fighting equipment & appliances Not as required Yes
01140 – Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance Missing Yes

This vessel was still detained on 31st October 2017

Vessel Name: CIEN PORCIENTO (General Cargo)

GT: 106.

IMO No: 8944446.

Flag: Unregistered.

Company: Open Window Inc.

Classification Society: Unclassed.

Recognised Organisation: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: Not applicable

Date and Place of detention: 4 March 2010, Lowestoft

Summary: Thirty deficiencies including seven grounds for detention

This vessel was still detained on 31st October 2017

Notes to Editors

• The MCA is a partner in the Sea Vision UK campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the sea and maritime activities. Sea Vision promotes the importance and economic value of the sector and works to highlight the exciting range of activities and career opportunities available to young people within the UK growing maritime sector at www.seavision.org.uk

• Follow us on Twitter: @MCA_media

For further information please contact
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office, on:
+44 (0) 2380 329 401
Press releases and further information about the agency is available here.

Link: Press release: FOREIGN FLAGGED SHIPS UNDER DETENTION IN THE UK DURING OCTOBER 2017
Source: Gov Press Releases

Press release: Solicitor General visits University of Law in Chester to mark National Pro Bono Week

Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP will be visiting the University of Law (ULaw) in Chester today (6 November) to meet law students and take part in a Streetlaw session with local school pupils.

His visit marks the start of National Pro Bono Week, a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the important work done by legal professionals and the voluntary sector to help people gain access to justice.

The Solicitor will visit the University of Law’s pro bono department at the Chester campus and will meet with students working with the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) which provides a free, fast emergency injunction service to survivors of domestic violence.

As part of the programme students are given full training to interview the clients over the phone and then fill in the necessary forms online that would allow injunctions to be issued. The work often leads to them acting as Mackenzie friends which involves assisting and advising a litigant in person, in the preparation of their case and during the hearing.

The Streetlaw event will see school children learning about the legal issues related to filming at school and then posting the footage online via social media.

The Solicitor General, Robert Buckland, QC MP said:

“It’s fantastic to meet future lawyers offering advice through pro bono initiatives. Many start their pro bono work while they are students and continue that important commitment throughout their careers.

“Pro bono work provides a vital contribution to our society and helps legal professionals maintain strong connections to the community.

“The Streetlaw programme is helping to educate the next generation of lawyers, while providing participants with important knowledge on legal issues that relate to them.”

Carol Draycott, Dean of The University of Law(ULaw)’s Chester campus, said:

“At ULaw we are committed to providing our students with first-hand practical experience and through our pro bono programme we have been able to help a number of people who might otherwise not have easy access to legal advice.

“We are honoured that the Solicitor General has taken time to visit us during such an important week designed to promote and highlight the voluntary work done by legal professionals.”

Streetlaw is a national, public legal education project that is delivered by law students in universities across England and Wales. The students deliver interactive and engaging legal workshops that aim to educate community groups and school children about the law as it relates to them.

Link: Press release: Solicitor General visits University of Law in Chester to mark National Pro Bono Week
Source: Gov Press Releases

Press release: UK named “Country of Honour” as trade mission heads to flagship Chinese International Industry Fair

A business delegation including of some of the UK’s best advanced manufacturing and innovation companies will head to China this week to boost growing bilateral trade and investment ties.

Minister for Trade and Export Promotion, Baroness Rona Fairhead, and Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry, will be joined by 100 leading business figures from across the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine and the East of England to represent Britain at the Chinese International Industrial Fair (CIIF), where the UK has been named Country of Honour.

The UK and China enjoy strong trade links, with bilateral trade increasing by 8.9% last year to more than £59 billion, and goods exports to China rocketing by 32%.

Ministers believe there is huge potential to build on this progress and expand trade ties, especially for smaller businesses based in the East of England, Midlands and the North. The trade mission to Shanghai has been designed to showcase these companies and demonstrate what they have to offer to their Chinese counterparts.

Delegates include:

  • Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technology who have made a strong commitment to support the Chinese alternative energy vehicle industry
  • Liverpool Vision, who are seeking to attract further Chinese investment into the Liverpool City Region through city-city links
  • Domino Printing, a provider of coding and marking solutions for Chinese enterprise, who are looking to build on their relationships which have been established since 1995

Baroness Fairhead will also meet with prominent UK businesses based in China to explore how the Department of International Trade can continue to expand support for new exporters as well as companies with an existing presence in the Chinese market.

China’s services imports have more than tripled since 2010, making China already the second largest importer of services worldwide. China’s middle class is expected to number 600 million by 2020, greater than the current entire population of the European Union, presenting unrivalled opportunities for UK business.

Minister for Trade and Export Promotion, Baroness Rona Fairhead, said:

UK exports to China are growing strongly, but it’s clear that there is still vast untapped demand for British goods and services in the Chinese market.

The opportunities for growth are there, and we will continue to use trade missions not only to build the UK culture of exporting, but also to help businesses of all sizes forge ties and cultivate relationships with potential buyers and investors.

As part of his visit Jake Berry will be attending the Northern Powerhouse Day that the Chinese International Industrial Fair is holding along with key members of the UK delegation.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry, said:

Northern Powerhouse businesses have so much to offer so it’s fantastic to see them at this year’s Chinese International Industrial Fair in Shanghai, demonstrating the strengths and opportunities for investment in the region.

This trade mission represents an exciting opportunity for the UK and China to build on an already flourishing commercial relationship.

The CIIF is the flagship event for advanced manufacturing in China, with more than 2,500 exhibitors and 160,000 visitors. It covers new energy vehicles, big data, robotics, aerospace and clean energy amongst other innovative technology.

As the Country of Honour, the UK trade mission will demonstrate the strength of British advanced manufacturing and emphasise that Britain is open for business as we prepare to exit the European Union.

The UK pavilion will exhibit the very best of the UK business, featuring companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Graphene Institute, Shadow Robotics and McLaren.

Baroness Fairhead will also visit Chongqing where she will attend the China-UK graphene standards working group, promoting the UK’s leading role in the research, development of and commercialisation of graphene.
UK companies are already benefiting from the use of the innovative material, which is 200 times stronger than steel, and it is expected to open up vast new markets around the world for British businesses.

Further information

Contact the DIT Media and Digital Team on 020 7008 3333

Follow us: @tradegovuk, gov.uk/dit

Link: Press release: UK named “Country of Honour” as trade mission heads to flagship Chinese International Industry Fair
Source: Gov Press Releases