registered ship -- from 3,000 miles away.

The Canmar Success , a huge Canadian cargo ship registered in Bermuda, was off the west coast of Scotland when her distress signal was set off by mistake.

A coded signal was picked up by Coast Guard radio technicians at Norfolk, Virginia, and they contacted Bermuda Harbour Radio for search and rescue information on the ship.

But Coastu Guard officials realised the ship was safe and on the other side of the Atlantic when they decoded the message at around 4.15 p.m. yesterday.

A spokesman for Bermuda Harbour Radio said: "This was quite an unusual incident for us.

"It appears as though the ship, which is about 30,000 tonnes, had set off the signal inadvertently during a test.

"There was no drama at all and in any case, it was a bit far for us to have been of any real help.''