Clear-up operations under way after two fishing boats sink overnight

Coastguard clear-up: Authorities working to contain fuel spillages.© STV

Clear-up operations have been launched after two fishing boats sank in separate incidents overnight.

A 12-metre vessel sank at Kyleakin, on the Isle of Skye, at about 9.30pm on Friday.

The boat, Nemesis, had up to 200 litres of diesel on board. Booms were used to contain the fuel, Stornoway coastguard said.

A nine-metre boat, Angusina, later sank in Cromwell Harbour, Dunbar, East Lothian. Fishermen raised the alarm at about 6.30am on Sunday.

An RNLI spokesman said the Angusina appeared to have taken on water through ventilation outlets when it settled badly against the harbour wall.

"One of our volunteer crewmen and a fire officer boarded the vessel and with the aid of heavy pumping equipment managed to refloat it," the spokesman said.

"However the operation had to stop when quantities of fuel oil ended up in the harbour."

The local authority was taking steps to stop the spread of oil.

Fire crews and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency were also involved in the incident.

Stornoway Coastguard and Forth Coastguard confirmed there were no people on the vessels at the time of sinking and no injuries resulting from the incidents.