An Italian coastguard official who berated the captain of the ill-fated Costa Concordia is aiming to join the country's senate.

Gregorio De Falco was captain of the port of Livorno at the time of the cruieship's sinking, which resulted in 32 deaths. De Falco ordered the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, back to the stricken vessel after he had he had fled to the shore on a lifeboat before the Costa Concordia had been fully evacuated.