A ferry caught fire in the middle of the Channel tonight.

Three lifeboats were rushed out to the incident.

The RNLI told Kent Online that it sent its Dover lifeboat City of London II to the Isle of Innisfree, a roll-on, roll-off passenger ship operated by Irish Ferries with 183 people on board this evening.

The Dover RNLI crew was joined by lifeboats from Dungeness and Ramsgate and a French naval tug.

The alert was put out just before 7pm.

By about 8.30pm tonight a Dover RNLI spokesman told Kent Online: "We understand that the fire, which was in the engine room, has been extinguished.

"No casualties have been reported and we are standing by in case any further assistance is required."

A statement from Irish Ferries said: "Irish Ferries can confirm that this evening, the crew on board its ship the Isle of Innisfree were alerted to a small fire in the ship’s engine room while the ship was sailing from Dover to Calais.

"Irish Ferries crews train regularly to deal with incidents at sea, and the company has put its training into action and the fire has been extinguished.

"The ship is carrying 94 passengers and 89 crew and all are safe and accounted for.

"The Coastguard has been informed and despatched three RNLI lifeboats as a precautionary measure.

"The vessel is currently safely at anchor, and as the situation is stable, no emergency assistance is expected to be required."

The company said that passengers booked on imminent Isle of Innisfree sailings will be transferred to alternative sailings.

The spokesman added: "Irish Ferries would like to sincerely apologise to all its passengers for the disruption to their journeys."