One passenger was detained by crew until the ship returned to dock in Newcastle.

Those aboard are currently being questioned by police aboard the ship.

The fire broke out when the vessel was 30 miles north east of Flamborough Head, near Scarborough, with a total of 946 passengers and 127 crew on board.

Humber Coastguard was alerted around 10pm.

RAF helicopters from Leconfield near Hull and Boulmer, Northumberland rushed to the vessel along with RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Filey.

Two crew members and four passengers were airlifted to Scarborough Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. Another 17 were treated by an on board doctor.

A passenger on board the ferry said she was forced to evacuate to the outer deck when the alarm was raised.

‘We were all sat upstairs when the alarm went off and the captain came on the tannoy and told us to evacuate to the outer deck because there was a fire,’ Olivia Elliott told Sky News.

Packed: The over-night ferry had 946 passengers and 127 crew on board. Police have not said whether the fire was started on purpose or by accident

Safety: Passengers were moved to the deck for around 40 minutes before being able to return inside

‘We were out there for about 40 minutes and then we had to wait in the nightclub area.

‘We are now back in our rooms. We don’t know when we will be allowed to leave the ship.

‘Staff said they will tell us as soon as possible.’

Lynne Smith-Davis, told Sky News the ship’s crew had handled the emergency well but that some passengers had started fighting.

She said: ‘There was no panic where we were, but then later on when we were inside sitting in the bar and cafe area some people started fighting – fights broke out, which really didn’t help the situation.’

Passenger Steven Basford, 28, who was travelling to Holland for New Years celebrations said:’We were in our room at about 10.40pm last night when they raised the general fire or emergency alarm with seven high pitched siren noises.

‘We were told to evacuate outside the ship and when we got outside they asked us to converge around the lifeboats.

‘The fire was on our floor but on the other side of the ship. When we climbed up to the communal area we could see the smoke. It wasn’t thick but it was definitely noticeable.

‘People were generally pretty calm. Obviously people had had a lot to drink. It’s a bit of a party boat. Two big blokes started brawling.’

The fire was extinguished within 15 minutes, police said last night.

The ship was turned around and arrived back in Newcastle this morning.

Police vehicles were pictured arriving at the port after the ship docked. They arrested two people this morning.

A police spokesperson said: ‘Two men have been arrested – a 26-year-old man on suspicion of arson and a 28-year-old man on suspicion of affray. Both are currently helping police with enquiries.’

Gert Jakobsen, a spokesman for ferry operator DFDS Seaways, said police are now in control of the King Seaways cruise ferry and speaking with passengers and crew about the incident.

Mr Jakobsen said he hopes the 946 passengers who were on their way to Amsterdam will be able to leave the ship shortly.

‘The ship has arrived back in Newcastle and police are now on board and in control of it,’ he said.

‘They are investigating the cause of the fire and speaking with senior crew members as well as passengers who were close to the incident.
‘For this reason the passengers are not allowed to leave the ship.

‘We hope they will be able to leave very shortly, around 8am.’

He added that the ferry would not be continuing its journey and instead will wait till its next scheduled departure to Amsterdam tomorrow morning.

Passenger Steven Basford said this morning: ‘We’ve been told we can’t get off until the police have finished their investigation. They’re going door-to-door so we just have to wait.’

Last night, Inspector Andrew Dixon from Humberside Police said: ‘It is unknown whether the fire had been started deliberately or accidentally but a number of persons, mainly crew but some passengers, had suffered smoke inhalation.

‘As a result of this incident the person suspected of causing the fire, the person from the cabin where the fire occurred, had been detained by ship staff and the ship was returning to its dock in Newcastle.’

Ferry: The location of the King Seaways service (blue arrow) when the fire broke out near Hull

A spokeswoman for DFDS Seaways said: ‘Fifteen passengers and eight crew members are reported to have suffered from smoke-related injuries,’ she said.

‘They have been checked by a doctor on-board, and two passengers and four crew members have been taken ashore by helicopter for further medical assistance at a local hospital in the UK.

‘We will ensure that passengers and crew affected by the incident will be offered psychological assistance as well as other assistance that might be needed.’

Bev Allen, Watch Manager at Humber Coastguard, said: ‘We have been in close contact with the MS King Seaways this evening and sent resources to assist in the evacuation of those passengers and crew that were showing signs of smoke inhalation.’

A Humber Coastguard spokesman added: ‘We were contacted by the ferry saying they had a fire in one of the passenger blocks but they had brought it under control and it’s now out.

‘We are unaware of the possible cause at the moment but I am sure the ferry company will carry out their own investigation.’

Yesterday evening, relatives of those involved took to Twitter to voice their concerns.

Lori Rowan tweeted: ‘My dads on the boat home to holland and it had to go back to Newcastle cause someone set the boat on fire’.

Ryan Wilson said: ‘The one time my sister gets a boat to anywhere and it get set on fire!

Popular route: The King Seaways ferry, pictured coming in to dock in the Netherlands, is popular with stag and hen dos and offers substantial discounts to such groups