THE large container ship which ran aground in the Dover Strait on Wednesday has resumed its voyage to the Suez.

Three tugs helped pull the German-registered LT Cortesia off the Varne Bank at high tide on Wednesday night, some 12 hours after it ran aground.

The ship then anchored three miles off Deal while inspectors made sure there was no damage. Once the all-clear had been given, the ship continued on its way.

The alarm had been raised at 5am on Wednesday when Dover Coastguard noticed, on their radar equipment, that the LT Cortesia had come to a sudden stop close to the Varne Bank. The crew confirmed that the vessel had run aground on the Bank nine miles south of Dover Harbour.

The LT Cortesia, which is 90,465 gross tonnes, was sailing through the Dover Strait on its way to the Suez when the incident happened. The ship had 27 people on board. None was injured.

The ship is carrying 42,785 tonnes of cargo - some of it described as "hazardous" - in more than 4,000 containers.