A ferry that ran aground in stormy weather in the Irish Sea was abandoned on Friday as all remaining crew were air-lifted to safety.

The Riverdance was hit by a freak wave 8 miles (13 km) off the northwestern coast of England on Thursday evening and its cargo shifted in high winds, causing a steep list.

All passengers and non-essential crew were airlifted to safety overnight, leaving just nine crew members on-board to try to prevent the ship from capsizing. But with no signs of the weather abating, those nine were also rescued.

"The decision was taken to pull remaining crew from the vessel," the coastguard said in a statement. "There continue to be very strong winds on the scene."

Efforts to salvage the ship, stricken about 200 metres from the foreshore, were expected to begin later on Friday.

The ship, a roll-on-roll-off cargo and passenger vessel operated by Seatruck Ferries, ran aground next to the seaside resort of Blackpool shortly before midnight.

There were 15 Polish and four British crew on board and four passengers. There were no reports of injuries, and no reports of any oil pollution from the vessel.

A Royal Airforce spokesman said the rescue conditions had been "the worst you could ever think it could be, and then some more".

Winds of Storm Force 10 were reported, meaning up to 60 mph, with gusts taking the figure higher, and waves of more than 20 feet (7 metres).

The Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland is notoriously rough in stormy weather.

It was not immediately known what freight the boat was carrying.

The coastguard statement said Riverdance was Bahamas registered and of 6,041 gross tonnage.

I went with the family at 8am to have a look and then nipped back on my own in my lunch break to take the picture above as I had heard that the tide had now gone out.

Earlier this morning there was news crews reporting there and ITV and BBC vans were parked up with satellite dishes beaming the signal from the camera men filming the stranded ship back to television H.Q to show live on air.

On both occasions that I visited, there was lots of coast guards, police and spectators there. You would of thought that David Beckham was there with the amount of on-lookers. Still its not every day that a ship washes up on the shore close to where you live.

Update #1 Saturday 2.2.08

Kelsey and I had a walk up the road to the promenade to see if the stranded ferry had moved and just to have a general nosey.

We couldn't believe the streets around here are chock-a-block with parked cars, and when we got further up the road there's more and more people armed with cameras on there way up to see the beached Riverdance.

The Police have closed the road off at the bottom, and also roped off the pathway leading up to the promenade to stop people getting a closer look. Not that it has worked, as everyone is just going into the local park and walking across the field where pitch and putt is played in the summer and getting just as close as the other day.

Its still mighty windy up there and very chilly. An SMS text message was sent from the scene of this weekends attraction to Yabba, who reported back that he was 'nice and warm' :o

Update #2 Sunday 3.2.08

I had a quick peep up there this afternoon and there was a helicopter dropping a man on a wire down to the ferry who apparently was checking for fuel leaks and generally checking the vessel over.

He was down on the Riverdance for a while and then was lifted off and the chopper flew back to Blackpool airport. If you watch the video clip below you will see the man on the wire being pulled back up to the the helicopter at the end of the clip.

I was talking to someone down there that I know and he told me that there has been some packets of chocolate biscuits washed up from the ship to the shore and how people had been scrounging for them. Yuck ! who fancies salted, soggy chocolate biscuits ? Not me .

The Riverdance looked like it had fallen over a bit more and its going to be there for quiet sometime yet, some people say another month at least until there is another high tide to float it again. Until then lets hope the thing doesn't tip over completely.

Again there was plenty of police presence up there keeping people off the beach, I guess they wanted the biscuits for themselves ? There was lots of people taking photo's and I was one of them. I wish I had a burger van and could get it up there, I would of made a fortune !

Update #3 Tuesday 5.2.08

There were coast guards out in force making sure nobody went within the 400 metre exclusion zone. There was talk of a hefty fine of up £50,000 being given out to anyone who did go too close. There were more people on the beach the other day, than were on it last Summer and its only just February ! Cleveleys is now on the map at last!

A large crane was brought onto the beach today they had to knock down some of the sea wall just to get it on the beach, but whilst I was there It didn't do anything much, I think they were waiting for the today's tide to go out properly. They are going to try and take some lorries off the ship with it to lighten the load I was told. There was also plans of pumping all the fuel out of the Riverdance to avoid a fuel spill should it start to leek out. Now that's a good idea for all the wildlife on and around the sea coast.

I also read on the web that after the next high tide, if it cant be set upright to sail again that there was plans to dismantle the vessel where it is !

Now that's going to be a big job.

Update #4 - Wednesday 6.2.08

TRUCKS have slipped from the stricken ferry Riverdance sending more of the vessel's cargo into the sea. Several containers fell off the port side of the 6,000 ton ship yesterday afternoon as it continues to dangerously list on Blackpool beach.

The grounded ship, which has been leaning at up to an 80 degree angle since the weekend, began moving at high tide sending five or six trailers crashing into the water.

The trucks fell as cranes arrived on site. Salvage crews are now trying to re-float the ferry. Timber, insulating fibreglass and scrap metal is now washing up on the shoreline, just south of Cleveleys.

Riverdance beached after it was hit by a freak wave last Thursday while en route from Northern Ireland to Heysham. Passengers and crew were airlifted to safety.

After yesterday's truck fall, The Maritime and Coastguard Authority, said: "It has not caused any problem for the salvage crew who continue to take equipment on to the ship".

With all the heavy equipment they are now using it is really important people don't get inside the exclusion zone. People need to be careful because some of the metal may wash up on the beach. It could be very sharp.

More than 50 sightseers put themselves in danger after breaking through police cordons to get to the ship on Monday afternoon.

Beach clearing work will continue today as officials warned visitors to the Cleveleys coastline to alert police if they spot shards of aluminium washing up outside the 400-metre exclusion zone.

Update #5 - Thursday 7.2.08

POLICE were today on the trail of a looter who stole a lifebelt from the Riverdance ferry and tried to sell it on eBay.

Police were alerted to the sale and contacted eBay who immediately halted the internet auction.

Gz