QUEEN MARY 2 TRIALS (From Sky News, September 25th)

The biggest, longest, tallest and widest passenger ship ever to set sail begins its sea trials today.

Cunard's latest liner, Queen Mary 2, has been built in a French dockyard at St Nazaire and puts the Titanic in the shade when it comes to size.

It is 21 storey's high and over a hundred feet longer than the Eiffel tower is high.

The luxury liner, which cost £550m to make, is being put through three days of trials off the coast of Brittany.

It is preparing for its maiden voyage on January 12 from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale.

The Queen Mary 2 measures 1,132ft in length - the same as three full size football pitches or 36 double decker buses.

It's height from keel to the top of the funnel is 236ft - just 70ft less than the Statue of Liberty and double the height of the first Queen Mary ship.

The liner weighs 150,000 tonnes with engines able to power at 30 knots, or 34mph.

Her whistle can heard from 10 miles away.

And the 3,090 passengers will able to enjoy a luxurious trip with five swimming pools and seven restaurants to choose from - if they decide to leave their cabins, which are the largest of any British ship.

The original Queen Mary ship was decommissioned in 1967.