Cargo ship crash – latest: British boat sinks in North Sea as frantic search launched for missing crew members

A British cargo ship has sunk in the North Sea after a collision with another boat off the German coast and several people are missing.

The ships, Polesie and Verity, collided in the early morning about 14 miles south-west of the island of Helgoland, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.

One of the ships, the British-flagged Verity, sank, according to German officials.

The emergency command said one person was rescued from the water and was being given medical treatment, and rescuers were searching for several more people who were missing.

The command said the ship was headed from Bremen, Germany, to the English port of Immingham.

The other ship, the Bahamas-flagged Polesie, remained afloat with 22 people on board.