THE Tilbury Ferry has been severely damaged following a dramatic collision with a state-of-the-art Royal Navy minesweeper.

The incident happened when the propulsion system on board the HMS Grimsby, a 52-metre, 600-tonne Sandown class minehunter, broke down while attempting to rescue a seaman who had fallen overboard from an inflatable dinghy.

A Royal Navy spokesman confirmed the incident, which took place on the Thames at Tilbury at around 2am yesterday, admitting the loss of power caused the ultra-modern ship to drift helplessly on the tide.

Shortly afterwards, she ploughed into the ferry The Duchess M, causing extensive damage to her starboard side. Another vessel, the Princess Pocahontas, also suffered minor damage.