Investigations firm Expol is linking up with the island’s ship registry to provide specialist help.

The move comes as the firm, based in Drinkwater Street, Douglas, looks forward to its 17th year of business.

Expol director Rob Kinrade said: ’Our involvement with the Isle of Man Ship Registry started in 2013 and we are proud to have been selected once again to engage with their team.’

Expol was successful in its tender application to renew its contract with the Isle of Man Ship Registry to provide forensic investigation and specialist training services for the next five years.

Mr Kinrade, a former detective inspector with Manx police force, said: ’It’s always a pleasure to meet with them as we find them highly professional, motivated and most receptive to working together, training and updating skills.

’We look forward to further developing our relationship over the next five years.’

Some 10,000 seafarers and 400 ships are sailing around the world carrying the Manx flag and the ship registry is one of the biggest in the world.

Mr Kinrade said: ’We provide investigative support and training services.

’In terms of investigation it can include evidence gathering, report writing, interviewing witnesses.

’We have in fact done a lot more training with them than we have done investigative support.

’But we are on the end of a telephone line and we have been contacted by them on a number of occasions about incidents on board ships that they want to discuss.

’Some years ago I went out with one of the surveyors to the south of France to witness what he is doing so I could familiarise myself with how they worked and that was really interesting.

’We were in Marseilles for three days. It included the second wettest day in southern French history.’

Asked about what sort of things they might investigate he said: ’The ship registry is world class with numerous ships registered.

’With that goes incidences of accidents on board ships.It might be somebody that slipped and hurt themselves.

’Or it could be anything. We are there working with the surveyors who are highly professional.

’These guys are highly experienced and know their stuff inside out. So we are there in terms of support. It might be a forensic issue, it might be an interview issue, an evidence gathering one, any of those things.’

Mr Kinrade said it was a pleasure to be working with the registry.

Expol describes itself as being involved in corporate risk consulting and forensic investigation.

Former detective chief inspector and senior investigating officer in the Manx force, David Bell, founded Expol Limited in 2005.

He was later joined by Mr Kinrade, a fellow director.

They now have a team of nine people, who include former police officers, who assist in investigative work along with corporate work.

Last summer Expol was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care to conduct an inquiry into what had happened at the Abbotswood nursing home in Ballasalla when several residents died after an outbreak of Covid-19.

Mr Kinrade said he could not discuss that inquiry.