A PROSECUTION of a man who was accused of 'culpably and recklessly' untying two CalMac ferries from their moorings has been abandoned.

Brian Cummings, 54, had been charged with causing the vessels to drift away from the pier at Gourock.

But potential Crown witnesses were unable to be contacted for THREE YEARS following the formerly-alleged incident.

A prosecutor told Greenock Sheriff Court that attempts to contact people who had been employed by CalMac at the time had been met with phone calls going to 'unobtainable' numbers.

A Crown motion to adjourn the trial to a future date was refused after the court was told that prosecutors had previously been granted further time to cite witnesses in 2019.

The court also heard that there had been other adjournments of the case as a result of Mr Cummings having been struck by a train.

A procurator fiscal depute said: "The Crown witnesses were employees of CalMac in 2018.

"There were no executions of service and both numbers were going to unobtainable."

It had been alleged that Mr Cummings, of Nairn Road in Greenock, untethered MV Argyll Flyer and MV Ali Cat on September 19 in 2018.

His lawyer, Amy Spencer, opposed the Crown motion, stating: "Notwithstanding the serious nature of the allegations the Crown is unable to proceed.

"There was some delay for defence motions to adjourn because Mr Cummings was unfortunately hit by a train and was in intensive care for a significant period of time."

Sheriff David Hall refused the Crown motion to adjourn the trial to a future date, citing the repeated unavailability of witnesses.

The case against Cummings will not be re-raised.