miles east of Bermuda.

The vessel sent out a May Day message at about 9 p.m. last Friday.

But yesterday a Harbour Radio spokesman said nothing had been found, despite an intensive search covering 5,000 square miles.

Harbour Radio have been broadcasting alerts about the ship.

Two coastguard aircraft from Florida and Elizabeth City, near Norfolk, have been helping a US Naval plane scour the seas.

A Liberian-registered motor vessel, Baneasa , also briefly joined the search, before continuing its journey to Gibraltar.