A 'story' claiming that a 'cannibal rat infested Russian ghost ship' is bearing down on the Cornish coast has been rubbished by the experts, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Despite reports that sound more like a 70's horror movie, the MCA say that there is no evidence the former Soviet cruise ship 'Lyubov Orlova', named after the first recognized star of Soviet cinema, is still even afloat.

Newspaper websites have claimed that experts say the "ghost ship infested with hundreds of cannibalistic rats may end up beaching on Britain's coastline". 

Adding that the abandoned Lyubov Orlova was cut adrift while being towed from Canada nearly a year ago.

And that: "Coastguards fear the 40-year-old liner was driven across the North Atlantic by high winds and is now lurking worryingly close to the UK shoreline", with "hundreds, if not thousands, of disease-ridden rats on board with no source of food except each other".

The last mention of the ship was when two distress beacons were picked up mid-Atlantic in March 2013, which could have been set off when life-rafts fell into the water, or the ship sank.

However The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said: "The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has received no sightings of the former Soviet cruise ship 'Lyubov Orlova' since April last year and there is no evidence to suggest it is still afloat.

"Any 'ghost' ship entering European waters is highly likely to be reported due to the large number of vessels passing through the area. We would then act accordingly."

Falmouth Packet:

Not coming to a beach near you.