The world's largest cargo ship has sailed past the Kent coast after its first visit to the UK.

The 1,300ft MSC Loreto vessel can be spotted off the coast of Hythe having already sailed past Thanet, Dover and Folkestone.

It set sail from the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk this morning and is on its way to the Port of Algeciras in Spain and is expected to arrive by 6pm on Monday.

The ship is capable of holding 24,346 standard containers, which is currently the record number.

It shares this “world’s largest” title with its sister vessel, the MSC Irina.

MSC Loreto arrived at the Port of Felixstowe, the biggest and busiest container port in Britain, in the early hours of Tuesday.

The vessel, which is operated by the Swiss-headquartered Mediterranean Shipping Company, arrived in the UK from Rotterdam.

It started its maiden voyage from Ningbo in China in April.