Dockers at the much maligned Port of Felixstowe have a created a European record after handling more than 23,000 from one ship.

MSC Diletta carried on her journey after crane operators and support staff at the port moved a record 23,773 containers, from the ship which has a capacity 24,000 TEUs.

Robert Ashton, operations director at the Port of Felixstowe, said: "The size of container ships has been increasing for many years and with growing demand for services into the Port of Felixstowe we are seeing ever greater container exchanges.

"We are also seeing a trend to consolidate cargo on fewer ultra-large ships.

"We are very pleased with the performance on this call and to have been able to work with the 2M partners to help achieve their objectives to supply the current high demand for far east imports to UK consumers."

The MSC Diletta is operated on the 2M Alliance Griffin/AE55 Far East Asia to North Europe service. The 2M Alliance consists of Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world's two largest shipping lines.

The Port of Felixstowe regulars deals with some of the world's largest container ships, and last year unloaded the infamous Ever Given, before she went to hamburg for repairs after getting stuck in the Sue Canal.

Felixstowe, which is regarded the largest in the UK, has suffered criticism over the past year or so with hauliers complaint of hold ups and a back log of containers being stuck at the port.

Meanwhile, Hutchison Ports, which owns Felixstowe docks, plans to build a new container port at Bathside Bay across the Stour estuary, near Harwich, are progressing. Full story here...

Work is also underway to further increase Felixstowe' ability to handle the world's largest container ships.

Harwich Haven Authority is dredging the main approach channel to increase the depth from 14.5 metres to 16.0 metres. Work commenced last year and is due to be completed in 2023. The port is also increasing the depth at its deep-water berths. Berth seven was deepened to 16.5 metres in 2021 and berth six will also be dredged to 16.5 metres in 2022 at the same time as berths eight and nine are increased to 18.0 metres.