Chris Reilly, the head of shipbroker BRS London, describes as “nonsense” accusations from an anonymous Twitter account that the Baltic Exchange is rigging indices to benefit charterers.

“Anyone who attacks the Baltic indices is by extension attacking the 30-odd shipbroking companies who provide the raw material for the indices,” said Reilly.

He says the suggestion of a dark plot to manipulate the market is “just another example of fake news, which, of course, is nothing new to the freight market.”