Staff on board another cross-Channel ferry have failed random drugs tests - just weeks after a sister ship saw a chunk of its workforce caught out.

A total of eight out of 106 crew members on the flagship Spirit of Britain recorded positive tests during the probe on Monday.

Ferry bosses confirmed they have been suspended while waiting for further analysis of the urine samples to come back - and have vowed to test all employees.

But none of the eight staff members was an officer, a spokesman for P&O Ferries added.

The revelation comes after 13 members of the 104-strong crew on board the Pride of Canterbury, also based in Dover, failed drugs tests last month.

A ferry spokesman said that of the 13, ten have since been dismissed, while two have returned to work.

The firm vowed to continue its zero tolerance drug policy, and said any employee not complying with it would be fired.

A spokesman for P&O Ferries said: "As part of routine drugs testing of our crews, eight individuals out of 106 tested on the Spirit of Britain recorded non-negative tests.

"None of the eight was an officer and all of them have been suspended whilst we await confirmation of the formal analysis of their samples.

"Of the 13 individuals on the Pride of Canterbury who recorded non-negative tests last month, ten have been dismissed and the process will conclude this week.

"Two samples were found to be negative and both individuals have returned to work.

"P&O Ferries will continue drugs testing of crew across our fleet.

"We operate a zero tolerance policy towards substance abuse and any employee not complying with it will be dismissed."