FIVE passengers have been thrown off a Southampton-based cruise ship after reports of a fight on board.

Crew of the Oriana, which is returning to the city today, asked the group - believed to be members of the same family - to make their own way home from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

According to reports from other guests on board the 69,000 ton vessel, a disturbance involving fighting and arguments among a family party broke out between late Saturday evening and the early hours of Sunday.

The five passengers were ordered off the P&O Cruises' ship when Oriana docked in Zeebrugge during a short two-night voyage which left Southampton on Saturday.

After being interviewed by Belgium police, members of the group were refused permission to re-board Oriana and had to make other travel arrangements to return to Southampton.

In a brief statement a spokesman for P&O Cruises said: “We can confirm five passengers were asked to disembark Oriana following an incident during the early hours of Sunday morning.”