Ferry repairs held up over spare parts delay

The latest repairs to the Isle of Wight's troubled chain ferry have been held up over delays receiving spare parts.

Floating Bridge 6, which crosses the River Medina between Cowes and East Cowes, was pulled from service at the weekend with "mechanical issues".

The council said parts to fix the vessel were due on Monday but "did not arrive as scheduled from our supplier due to ferry disruptions".

Vehicle ferries between Southampton and the island halted from Sunday night to Monday afternoon.

Red Funnel ferries were unable to run because the bridge ramp - used to drive vehicles on and off the vessels - at East Cowes needed repairs.

While the chain ferry is being fixed a launch service is running for foot passengers and cyclists with drivers having to make a 12-mile (19km) detour via Newport.

An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said: "We appreciate your patience during this time as we work towards resolving this issue.

"We will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available. Thank you for your understanding."

The chain ferry, which has been plagued with endless issues since it started running in 2017, is set to be replaced.

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