The three-person crew of a fishing vessel has been rescued following a collision with a tanker off Scotland.

The fishing boat sank after the incident involving an unnamed ship between Ardrossan and Arran in North Ayrshire, the PA news agency reported.

Scottish police said they were informed at 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Thursday that a crash had taken place.

No injuries were reported to the crew members who were rescued from the fishing vessel.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said two of its lifeboats were sent from Arran and Troon to pick up the men.

The rescued fishermen were transferred to the ambulance service.

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been notified, police added.

The UK ministry of defence said an RAF Poseidon aircraft was also in attendance at the scene.

A spokesman for the RNLI told PA: “On Thursday, Troon and Arran RNLI lifeboats launched to a fishing vessel in distress between the Isle of Arran and the Ayrshire coast.”

“The casualties were taken back to Troon lifeboat station and transferred into the care of the ambulance service,” he added.

Scottish ferry group CalMac said on X, formerly Twitter, that its service on the 3,300-gt ropax Isle of Arran (built 1984) was delayed as a result of its “assisting with an emergency”.

The ferry serves the route from Ardrossan to Arran and Campbeltown.

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency told TradeWinds: “Surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Glasgow marine office attended the vessel during the evening of 25 April.”

“The vessel remains alongside on the Clyde and surveyors have returned to the vessel today to continue their inspection and fact finding,” it added.