New laws are to be drafted in the UK to combat piracy on the High Seas, it was revealed today. Shipping Minister Mike Penning said ships were now carrying ‘armed guards’ to fend off the threat of being boarded by marine gangsters.

‘We don’t want a bunch of cowboys on these ships,’ he said, ‘we want to make sure these forces are trained properly.’ Mr Penning was launching a new initiative on the future strategy of aids to navigation at Trinity House’ HQ in London.

TH want to see eLoran used aboard ships as well as GPS because a back-up system is necessary as the ‘pinch points’ around UK waters become ever more busy.

‘The Dover Strait is the busiest and potentially one of the most dangerous pinch points in the world; there are strong tidal currents in the Pentland Firth and large tidal ranges in the Bristol Channel; and there are around 255 offshore oil and gas platforms. New plans for up to 7000 offshore wind turbines and other tidal or wave energy installations as well as marine conservation areas around our coasts will add further complexity to our already challenging waters,’ a TH spokesman said.

Buoys,lighthouses and beacons will continue to be a part of Trinity House’s remit.