The Alliance Party has called for "immediate action" after gallons of diesel have started leaking from a moored boat in Portaferry, Co Down.

The boat crashed into the Ards and North Down Council-owned Cook Street Quay some time ago and although several attempts have been made to repair it, it has been moored at the site ever since.

Alliance Strangford candidate Kellie Armstrong is calling for action to be taken to stop environmental damage.

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She said: "Strangford Lough is environmentally sensitive, so I have asked the Council a number of times to raise my concerns but no action has been taken. The Northern Ireland Environmental Agency have pledged to check the scene but we are still waiting for that to take place.

"This has the potential to damage the specific and important Strangford Lough environment, and therefore I ask all relevant agencies treat this as an urgent case.

"This environmental damage could have been averted if agencies had acted much more quickly to get the owner to repair and make the vessel seaworthy."

(CD/LM)