THE son of a Pendle vicar is helping to make one of the world's biggest ports a home from home for Tamil and Russian sailors this Christmas.

Paul Morgan, whose father Brian is vicar of St Thomas' Church, Barrowford, is working as a chaplain's assistant at the Missions to Seamen centre in Rotterdam.

He is one of two assistants covering the massive port, which covers a 30-mile stretch of river.

Paul, 24, is following in the watery footsteps of his father, who served as a chaplain with the Missions to Seamen in Mombasa and Antwerp.

Paul is responsible for visiting ships during the day and serving at the seafarers' centres in the evening.

"Sometimes ship visiting means a friendly hello, a brief chat and telling them where the mission is," he said. "Other times we may be on board for an hour listening to their concerns or providing information.

"One of the ships in port at the moment is owned by a company which has failed to pay debts and wages all over the world.

"The Tamil and Russian sailors had to borrow money to pay the manning agencies for their jobs on board.

"Now they are afraid to go home because of what the money lenders might do to them and their families if they return without money.

"This Christmas we hope to help them phone their families, as well as providing food and other gifts for them."

Over Christmas and New Year, Paul will be working with a large team of volunteers to ensure the sailors enjoy themselves as much as possible.

"They have to know that they have somewhere warm and friendly where they can relax and enjoy a family atmosphere even though they may be thousands of miles away from home."

His father is well aware of the problems faced by seamen.

"They have a hard life and many of them are ripped off," he explained.

"They can be left in a foreign port with no money, not speaking the language and with no-one to help them."

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