(Adds background)
LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - British police said on Sunday
they were dealing with an ongoing incident aboard a vessel near
the coast of the Isle of Wight, an island off the southern coast
of England.
"We are aware and dealing with an ongoing incident on board
a vessel which is situated south of the Isle of Wight," the
local police force said in a statement.
Sky News said the vessel was the oil tanker 'Nave Andromeda'
and that the incident involved a small number of stowaways.
Police did not immediately confirm these details to Reuters.
Britain's interior ministry, which is responsible for border
control, did not have any immediate comment.
Refinitiv vessel tracking data showed the Nave Andromeda had
been expected to arrive in the English port of Southampton at
1030 GMT on Sunday. The vessel had departed from Lagos, Nigeria,
the data showed.
In December 2018 British forces stormed an Italian cargo
ship and regained control after stowaways threatened crew
members as it sailed close to the coast of southeast England.
(Reporting by William James; Editing by Catherine Evans and
Raissa Kasolowsky)