A harbour authority today admitted breaching health and safety at work regulations after a tug sank nearly seven years ago claiming the lives of three men in the tragedy.

The Flying Phantom was overtaken and pulled over by the larger bulk carrier, Red Jasmine, it was towing on the River Clyde on December 19 in 2007.

The master of the tug Stephen Humphreys (33), engineer Robert Cameron (65) and rating Eric Blackley (57) all lost their lives. A fourth member of the crew, mate Brian Aitchison (37) survived.

Clydeport Operations Limited admitted failing to have in place an adequate contingency plan if fog was encountered especially when a large vessel was being towed.

It also admitted failing to provide a safety management system and to appoint a suitable individual or individuals as the designated person.

A trial was originally fixed in the case for the High Court in Edinburgh before a plea was negotiated.

The owners of the tug, Svitzer Marine, were fined £1.7 million last year after admitting health and safety breaches.

Andrew Henderson, from Thompsons Solicitors, who acted for the families of the men who died welcomed the news and said the Crown Office must now begin a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the sinking.

He said: “It is very welcome that today Clydeport have admitted their guiltto a series of health a safety breaches. Almost seven years on from the sinking we have to  make sure something like this never happens again. The best way to make sure safety on the river is improved is for the Crown Office to begin a fatal accident inquiry into the sinking. There can no more  delay on this matter, thousands of men work in the marine industry on the Clyde and the lessons learned from a FAI will help protect their safety in the future.”

All three men who lost their lives were members of the UNITE trade union.

Pat Rafferty, Unite’s  Scottish Secretary, said: “Clydeport’s admission of guilt demonstrates once again the urgent need for Scottish Government intervention to strengthen workplace health and safety legislation.

“By admitting their culpability the law will punish Clydeport with a significant fine but this does nothing for the families of the victims, puts no responsibility on an individual or individuals within the company itself and does nothing to prevent fatalities from recurring in the future.

“Scotland desperately needs a prescriptive legislative agenda that serves to protect working people and their families because from Stockline, the Flying Phanton and offshore helicopter tragedies we are repeatedly seeing the failings of a toothless, protracted justice system.

“We need to radically change the Fatal Accident Inquiry process - something the Scottish Government could have done by fast-tracking the FAI reform proposals made by Patricia Ferguson MSP but failed to - and Corporate Manslaughter legislation should be strengthened to ensure that culpability for workplace fatalities is placed on individual directors within the negligent company itself. 

“This will be of little comfort to the families devastated by the Phantom tragedy but given that workplace fatalities in Scotland have increased in the last year it’s clear we need more a robust approach to protect working people.”