An increase in collisions at sea has been blamed on seafarers spending hours scrolling on their mobile phones and falling asleep when they should be keeping watch.

Captain Andrew Moll, Britain’s chief inspector of marine accidents, said the increased automation of shipping had rendered watch-keeping mind-numbingly dull and led crews to view the shifts as time for rest and relaxation, rather than a vital element of safety.

To make matters worse, a requirement to appoint additional lookouts to aid watch-keepers is often ignored, while some sailors are even deactivating alarms that sound on a regular basis to ensure they are paying attention to computer screens.

Work by the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (Maib), which scrutinises accidents involving British vessels worldwide and

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