QE2 staff sacked after party vandalism

Three staff members on the QE2 have reportedly been sacked after a party got out of hand and precious valuable tapestries were damaged. According to The Guardian, three of the tapestries – including one depicting members of the Royal Family – were damaged, while one may have been thrown overboard into the Atlantic Ocean. A portrait of the Queen is also reported to have been damaged. The newspaper reports that three crew members were sacked and arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after the boat docked at Southampton on Saturday. The Guardian quoted a Hampshire police spokesman as saying: “The three men detained on suspicion of causing damage on the QE2 have been bailed to return to a police station on May 26. “There is a real possibility that a tapestry has been thrown overboard. It may be picked up by a trawler or a fisherman, or may wash up on a local foreshore. If anyone finds it they should report it to us immediately.” A spokesman for Cunard, which owns the QE2, is quoted as saying: “We can confirm that an incident occurred on board during the night of 14 April. Three crew members were subsequently dismissed.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd www.newsfromabroad.com