Four stowaways have appeared in court on charges of attempting to hijack a Grimaldi ro-ro in the UK.

The iron bar-wielding men from Nigeria smeared faeces on the walls of the bridge and threatened to kill the crew as they tried to take control of the vessel, previously named as the 5,720-lane-metre Grande Tema (built 2014), a court heard.

The Thurrock Gazette reported the hearing as being told that violence broke out as the ship headed towards Tilbury in December.