OFFICIALS on Derry City Council are working to try to save the city's status as a port of call for cruise liners following last week's decision by the CTC liner, The Southern Cross not to call because of the street violence.

A year ago The Southern Cross became the first cruise liner to put into Derry in over 40 years and five other cruise line companies had agreed to make the city a stopover.

The chairman of Derry City Council's marketing committee Mr Wilf White says there will now be increased efforts to ensure the other companies go ahead with their plans to visit.

Mr White says he was disappointed with the decision by The Southern Cross as extensive preparations had been made for the visit, but understood why the cruise ship had taken such action.