France intercepts Lithuanian ship over oil slick

PARIS, June 6 (Reuters) French authorities intercepted a Lithuanian cargo vessel after naval aircraft spotted a 37 km-long oil slick from the vessel in the waters off northern France, the Defence Ministry said today.

A French naval aircraft on exercises off the northwestern coast spotted the slick, apparently produced by the Lithuanian-registered ''Vyautas''.

Justice authorities in the town of Brest ordered the vessel to be escorted to port where an investigation has begun.

The incident occurred amid heightened sensitivity over maritime oil pollution as the mammoth trial continued of oil giant Total over the 1999 sinking of the tanker Erika, which polluted 400 km of coast after spilling 20,000 tonnes of oil.

REUTERS JK BST0119