British cruise ship passenger lost at sea

A British man is lost at sea after falling overboard from a cruise ship in the Channel. Emergency services from France and the UK were unable to find the passenger, who went missing from the Fred Olsen liner Balmoral yesterday morning, coastguards said. HMS Westminster and a helicopter were dispatched, but the search for the man, described by Brixham coastguard as "elderly", was called off at about 8pm last night. The Balmoral was reportedly in French waters when the alarm was raised at 9.30am. The hunt was led by authorities in France but called off when darkness fell. "We have been assisting the French, who have been co-ordinating the search," said a spokesman for Brixham coastguard. "We launched a helicopter and a British warship. The boat was on a three-week cruise and was due to dock in Dover." A spokeswoman said this morning that the search was so far not continuing today. The Balmoral, which carries 1,350 passengers, is the largest liner in the Fred Olsen fleet. It was on a tour of the Adriatic. Police said this morning that a detective had been sent to the Balmoral, which is docked in Dover.