MPs have called for an emergency debate in the fate of the asbestos laden ship Otapan, which had been moored in Amsterdam for seven years. The ship sailed for Turkey last month after being given an environment ministry export licence.

However, Turkey has refused the ship permission to dock after it emerged it was carrying not 1,000 kgs of asbestos, as the licence said, but 54 tonnes. Environmental lobby group Greenpeace, which says the ship to be demolished here, claims the true figure was in a 2002 ministry report.