Sail 8 Sparks Safety Fears

LATEST: SIR Bob Geldof has been attacked by the shipping industry after commanding an armada of small boats to help transport G8 protesters from France to Britain.

Geldof wants protestors from across Europe to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland for the July (05) G8 Summit there, to help raise awareness of third world poverty.

The nautical event - known as SAIL 8 - was expected to kick off on 3 July (05), the day after the Live 8 concerts, but shipping experts have warned that such a large flotilla on the world's most active waterway could risk lives.

An industry insider insists it is frighteningly easy for larger vessels to sink in the event of colliding with smaller boats, particularly as many of the crafts will be hard to see.

He says, "Some ships have difficulty missing sunken carriers, let alone small yachts."

And Geldof has reportedly angered the MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AUTHORITY with his request for boat-owners to ignore the potential dangers at sea and "be bold and brave like the people who die daily of poverty".

The insider adds, "The MCA has been contacted and we have arranged for a special shipping lane to be closed off."

However the MCA denies any contact with the Live 8 team.