Four British nationals have been rescued from a stricken Greek ferry which caught fire in the Adriatic.

They were among a number of Britons on board the Norman Atlantic, which was travelling from the western Greek port of Patras to the Italian port of Ancona, with 422 passengers and 56 crew members on board.

A cargo ship carrying 49 people evacuated from the ferry arrived in the Italian port of Bari this morning, though it is not known if the Britons were among them.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "From the passenger manifest, and other information available to us, we know that a number of British nationals were on board the Norman Atlantic.

"Local authorities have confirmed to us that four British nationals have been rescued so far. The rescue operation is ongoing and we remain in close touch with the Italian authorities."