Happy Christmas ship

A ship thought to be the world's largest container vessel has arrived in a Suffolk port to unload 45,000 tonnes of Christmas goods from China. Hundreds of spectators lined the shore to watch the Emma Maersk as it was guided into Felixstowe by three tugs.

The ship is a quarter of a mile long, 200ft high and as wide as a motorway. Her cargo of toys, books, computers, Christmas crackers, decorations and food, are bound for Britain and mainland Europe.

But campaigners have warned of the environmental damage such giant ships could cause.

"The environmental costs of long-distance trade need to be properly taken into account," said Dr Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for South East England. We must manage international trade in a way which is socially and environmentally sustainable, working towards global agreement on a raft of measures such as taxation on fuel and import tariffs designed to support home-grown businesses. This will help offset the environmental damage caused by ships like the Emma Maersk plying international waters filled with MP3 players and plastic toys."

The ship's Danish owner, Maersk Line, said the vessel was "one of the most environmentally friendly" container vessels built. On its website it says the ship is the largest container vessel in the world.

The ship is on its maiden voyage bound for Gothenburg in Sweden and has previously called at Yantian in China, Hong Kong and Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia.

She is scheduled to unload 3,000 containers in the Suffolk port then move on to mainland Europe to deliver other containers.