22 January 2012 Last updated at 10:22 ET

Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth child abuse claims investigated

The abuse is alleged to have taken place on board the Queen Elizabeth

Police are investigating allegations that children were abused by a worker on two luxury Cunard cruise ships.

The unnamed man from Wiltshire no longer works for the company, a spokeswoman for Wiltshire Police said.

The abuse is alleged to have happened on the Southampton-based Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth over five years, the Mail on Sunday reported.

A Cunard spokesman said it was co-operating fully with the police inquiry.

It said in a statement: "We are deeply shocked by these allegations as the safety and wellbeing of our customers is of paramount importance to us.

"A thorough police investigation is under way which we are supporting and co-operating with fully.

"And we are working closely with the NSPCC to ensure that affected families and children are cared for and offered appropriate support."

Fleet flagship

Wiltshire Police said it would be contacting parents it needed to interview.

Cunard is part of the Carnival Corporation group and operates the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth cruise liners.

The 150,000-tonne Queen Mary 2, the flagship of Cunard's fleet, entered service in 2004.

It employs 1,253 crew and can accommodate up to 2,620 passengers on transatlantic cruises from Southampton to New York and round-the-world trips.

The smaller 90,900-tonne Queen Elizabeth is the newest ocean liner in the fleet.

It entered service in 2010, has a crew of 1,005 and can accommodate up to 2,068 guests.