The 26 crewmen of a container ship that began sinking off the coast of The Lizard this morning have been flown to safety to RNAS Culdrose.

Two rescue helicopters from the Helston air base worked all morning to rescue the crewmen, who were left floating in a lifeboat 40 miles off The Lizard after abandoning the MSC Napoli ship when it began taking on water through a 1m by 0.5m hole.

During a rescue co-ordinated by French Coastguards, the first Culdrose helicopter hovered above the lifeboat and rescued 13 of the crew, before a flying back to the air base.

A Falmouth Coastguard tug, the Lizard Lifeboat, a French tug and two French helicopters have also been involved in the operation.

The rescue was carried out in severe gale force nine winds - a speed of more than 50mph - with 8m to 9m (26ft to 30ft) swells.

The mixed nationality crew includes two young British cadets, as well as men from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey, India and the Philippines.

Originally it had been thought that the ship would sink completely, but salvage operations are now underway.

Currently the vessel is in a stable position 45 miles South East of the Lizard.

A salvage contract has been agreed and awarded to a consortium of Klyne tugs, Smit International and Les Abeilles.

An emergency towing vessel, the Anglian Princess and a French tug are currently on the scene.

Robin Middleton, who is leading the MCA Salvage Response Unit said, said: "A French salvage team is being transferred onto the MSC Napoli by helicopter and will assess the stability and integrity of the vessel to decide if the vessel can be towed.

The current plan is to tow the vessel to a port and discharge the cargo ashore.

The vessel is carrying 2,394 containers, a small proportion of these are believed to contain insecticides and pesticides."