Crowds wrapped in woolly hats and gloves have travelled far and wide for a glimpse of the stricken vessel in the days after it crashed on to the beach during Thursday's violent storms.

Now a South Shore schoolboy has been moved to write an ode to the stricken 6,000-ton ship.

Five-year-old Liam Hughes, who visited the wreck on Saturday, performed his effort in front of classmates at St Cuthberts RC Primary School in Lightwood Avenue.

It received such acclaim the poem was passed around the school and resulted him being given a certificate by his delighted headteacher Des Kennedy.

The clever youngster went a little quiet when questioned about his literary prowess, but did say: "Riverdance looks like a pirate ship.

"My teachers said my poem was good."

His proud father, Paul, added: "The ship is an amazing sight and it has really captured the imagination.

"Liam has done really well with the poem,

"He came up with all the rhymes himself and he's brilliant at reading it too."

Vicky Culshaw, Liam's mother, was also thrilled with his poem.

Miss Culshaw, of Ivy Avenue, said: "I'm very proud of him.

"He came out of school and showed me the certificate he received from the headmaster. Then his teacher came out and starting praising him.

"I've had people stopping me and asking me about his beautiful poem.

"He has always been into his writing, but had the fascination with the Riverdance since going down to it.

"When we went down he had his photograph taken in front of it."

Jennifer Clayton, who teaches Liam's Year One class, said: "One of the children came in and said they had seen the boat.

"Liam came in the next day with a poem and a picture. I asked him to read it out in front of the class and it was really impressive.

"I thought it was so good and very relevant so he went to the headteacher to receive a certificate."