Foreign workers held 'for safety'

The ship moored at Grimsby housing the Italian workers

Foreign workers at the centre of a dispute at Lindsey Oil Refinery are being confined to floating accommodation for their own safety.

Security at Grimsby docks has been stepped up as the 100 Italian workers brought in to work wait to find out how the row will be settled.

A spokesman for the fish docks said threats had been made against the accommodation barge and the workforce.

He said the dispute had to be resolved at the refinery.

Grimsby docks spokesman Martyn Boyers said: "Since the protest has escalated there have been all sorts of threats against the barge, there have been threats to sink it, there have been protests outside and staff have been barracked.

"The Italians have been barracked, and to be fair this is not their fault, this is to do with what's happening at Lindsey Oil Refinery.

"The security has been increased and obviously we're keeping an eye on what's going on and obviously it's important to keep an eye on the well-being of the people onboard.

"We also have make sure that people working at the port are safe."

Community leaders in Grimsby said more needed to be done to stop an industrial dispute taking on a racial element.

Community worker Marcus Czarnecki said it was important the company looked at how the tendering process had been carried out and its impact on the wider community at an economically difficult time.