Cross-channel ferry crew members fail urine test

P&O Ferries informed Port of Dover police that crew members had failed urine tests

DECEMBER 14, 2016 — Under the headline “the High Seas,” Britain’s Daily Mail reports that 13 crew members of a P&O Ferries cross-Channel ferry have been suspended after failing random tests.

The Scottish Sun, which reported the story under the heading “White Sniffs of Dover,” quoted a P&O spokesman as saying “we’ve never had a drugs incident involving this many staff before” and disclosing that no officers were involved.”

According to the Daily Mail, 13 of the 104 person crew on board the fleet’s Pride of Canterbury ship produced “non-negative” urine samples in random drugs testing on two sea crossing on Thursday, December 10. The results have now been sent for further analysis,

P&O Ferries said it had informed the Port of Dover Police and that any other workers found to have broken the company’s zero tolerance on drugs would be fired.

Under the U.K.’s Transport and Works Act 1992 it is a criminal offense for people in certain transportation jobs to be drunk or on drugs while at work.