Carnlough cargo was whisky barrels and bottles

The consignment was to be transported onwards to Bushmills Distillery.

The barrels had been imported with a delivery of malt and barley also bound for the County Antrim whisky producer.

The barrels were made of American oak. The bottles were produced at a plant near Edinburgh and shipped across the Irish Sea by small coasters to Carnlough.

A spokesman at Bushmills said: “We have introduced this service as part of our expansion programme because it is relatively convenient to the distillery.

The report also noted that the barrels cost £13 each.