The chief executive of P&O Ferries has been given "one final opportunity" to reemploy sacked staff on their previous salaries by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

As BBC News reports, in a letter, Mr Shapps again urged Peter Hebblethwaite to reverse his decision to sack 800 seafarers.

If not, he said the government's plans to make it illegal for ferry firms to pay less than the minimum wage, would likely force him to do so.

Mr Shapps also repeated his call for the P&O Ferries boss to quit.

P&O Ferries prompted outrage on 17 March when it announced that it would be replacing staff immediately with agency workers paid less than the minimum wage.

"A reversal at this point may also go some way in starting to repair your firm's reputation," the transport secretary wrote, accusing Mr Hebblethwaite of leaving it in "tatters".

Mr Shapps also suggested that company dropped a 31 March deadline given to staff to respond to redundancy offers.

Mr Hebblethwaite admitted last week that his decision to sack 800 workers without consulting unions first broke the law. However, he said no union would have accepted the plan and it was easier to compensate workers "in full" instead.

More on the ferry crewing dispute story here.