Three tug boats were needed to turn around a large cargo ship carrying rice into the Port of Ipswich.

The MV Ijborg was carrying more than 8,000 tonnes of the staple - which was imported into the UK from Waggaman in New Orleans.

The 143m vessel needed the tug boats to manoeuvre it safely into berth so that the cargo from S & B Herba Foods Ltd could be discharged then out of the port again. The complex operation showed off the skills of port workers in moving ships around without incident.

The town port is one of the UK's leading grain-handling sites and handled more than 900,000 tonnes of cargo in 2020 - including agribulks and fertiliser to support the UK farming industry.

ABP short sea ports boss Andrew Harston said: “This complex operation is a great example of how our expert marine team in Ipswich, working with Harwich Haven pilots and Svitzer Towage, is able to accommodate the requirements of larger vessels with flexibility and efficiency.”