THE Tories have betrayed the 786 workers sacked by P&O Ferries two years ago, unions have said, warning that ministers have done nothing to stop other firms from doing the same thing.

The public remains at risk because there has been no effort to close legal loopholes that allowed the cross-Channel ferry operator to abruptly fire crew members and hire low-paid agency staff instead, the TUC, RMT and Nautilus International said.

They called for proper legal protection for seafarers on the second anniversary of the scandal, which has seen the firm and its owner DP World continue to operate without sanctions — despite admitting to breaking the law.