Skipper who rescued 47 passengers from sinking ship claims he was sacked for taking time off to receive bravery award

The skipper of a Newlyn fishing boat who was honoured after going to the aid of a sinking ship claims he was sacked for taking time off to receive his award. Shaun Edwards was presented with The Lady Swaythling Award after his ship battled through gale-force winds to help pluck 47 passengers off the Fryderyk Chopin, a dismasted tall ship. The audacious rescue bid last November led to the skipper and his crew on the Nova Spero being hailed as heroes.

But Mr Edwards claims he was sacked from a subsequent job working on a Government-owned fisheries research ship when he took time off to attend the ceremony, where Princess Anne presented his award. Paul Trebilcock, chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, said the decision was "heartless". "Shaun and his crew put their own lives at risk that night," he said. "What they did was above and beyond the call of duty."



After the rescue last year, Mr Edwards placed another skipper in charge of the Nova Spero and took a job as second mate aboard fishery research ship Cefas Endeavour. He asked managers of the ship, P&O Maritime Services, for a trip off to attend the ceremony. But he claims this request and another to take leave without pay or swap shifts with another mate, were all refused. Mr Edwards went to the award at the historic Fishmongers Hall in London and his employment was later terminated.

The matter has now been taken up by St Ives MP Andrew George, who is going to ask the fisheries minister Richard Benyon to intervene. Mr Edwards was yesterday back at sea onboard the Nova Spero, but said: "I feel very badly let down and penalised for helping a vessel in distress." Alan Rowan, general manager for P&O Maritime Services in the firm's Galway office in Ireland, said he did not wish to comment any further on the story.