Hythe ferry service suspended after damage to pontoon

THE Hythe ferry has been temporarily taken out of service after engineers found a pontoon had been damaged.

Operator Red Funnel confirmed the route, which connects Hythe and Southampton, has been suspended from today (Thursday).

A spokesperson said: “It is with regret that we are temporarily suspending the Hythe ferry service.

“Following a survey of the pontoon and its supporting structure, damage to the dolphin piling was identified, which requires further assessment and necessary repairs.”

The spokesperson added: “Engineers will be re-attending the pontoon as quickly as possible. As soon as we have further information regarding the repair timeline, we will issue another update.

“We are very sorry for this inconvenience to our customers and are working to resume the service as soon as possible.”

As reported in the A&T, last year vit was feared the service would be lost completely after then-operator Blue Funnel Cruises said it was running at an unsustainable loss.

It was poised to stop on 31st December until Isle of Wight ferry operator Red Funnel confirmed it would take over the route.

It had also been under threat in 2016, prompting campaigners to set up a petition which was signed by thousands.