The UK government will force P&O Ferries into a U-turn after its mass sacking

The UK government said on Friday that it would force P&O Ferries to do a U-turn after it fired 800 seafaring workers without notice to be replaced with agency crews paid far below the minimum wage.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also called for P&O chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite to resign, the day after he told a parliamentary hearing that the company chose not to consult unions on the move, as it was legally obliged to do.

He said he would "come to parliament this coming week with a package of measures which will both close every possible loophole that exists and force them to U-turn on this".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson attacked the company's actions as "callous" on Wednesday, saying the government would take P&O to court as it looked like it had broken the law.