A CARGO ship being used on the Millport flood defence works has been refloated after it was stranded ashore in high winds on Wednesday.

Coastguard and RNLI crews responded to an incident involving the 'Leslie Anne' after receiving a call at around 12.45pm on August 21.

A coastguard official said the ship had been deliberately beached to allow its crew to load machinery, but as conditions worsened it was left stuck on the sand after the tide turned in mid-afternoon.

There were no reports of any injuries.

The ship remained stuck on the Kames Bay shore throughout Wednesday evening and Thursday and was removed at high tide on Friday morning, however minus her load, which is still sitting at the edge of Kames Bay beach, according to island residents.

The alarm was raised at about 12.45pm on Wednesday, and the Cumbrae coastguard rescue team was asked to attend, along with the RNLI's all-weather lifeboat from Troon.

All crew members on board were accounted for.

A spokesperson for the Cumbrae coastguard rescue team said: "We were tasked, alongside the RNLI's Troon Lifeboat, to a vessel which got into difficulty while loading heavy machinery at Kames Bay.

"Although the vessel had been deliberately beached to allow machinery to be loaded onboard, the vessel slipped its anchor, and the increasingly strong southerly winds turned it broadside to the waves and drove it up onto the beach, where it stranded as the tide turned.

"We provided visual coverage from shore to inform the response from HM Coastguard and ensure the crew were not at risk.

"Given the size and weight of the vessel, the Trent class all-weather lifeboat from Troon was tasked to attend.

"However, as the crew were all accounted for, and with no injuries, it was decided the owners would make alternative arrangements to refloat the vessel in due course."

The Leslie Anne is described as a cargo ship, sailing under the flag of United Kingdom.

The ship is 30 metres long and seven metres wide, and has a draught of 1.4 metres.

The flood protection works are being completed by Van Oord UK, with support from subsidiary Mackley Civil Engineering.

The ship is rented by Mackley/Van Oord.