Storm Barra: Ferries dock at Holyhead after hold-up

Two ferries which were stranded at sea for hours outside a port as Storm Barra battered Wales have finally docked.

Irish Ferries' Ulysses had been due to dock at 05:00 GMT on Wednesday, followed by Stena's Adventurer at 08:00.

The BBC was told Ulysses tried to berth in Holyhead, Anglesey, three times.

One passenger tweeted from on board the Ulysses that they thought their ship never should have sailed.

But UK Port Authorities said the journey was "well within the safety standards".

Lilly King, 24, was on the ferry with her grandmother Margaret King, 76, her father Gary, 50, and uncle Declan, 40.

The family had to drive four hours to their home in Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire, once they left the ship.

Ms King, a paralegal, said before the ferries managed to get into port: "It's really scary. I don't think the ship should have been allowed to sail in the first place.

"We are so seasick."

Irish Ferries was approached, but declined to comment.

Freight drivers and passengers were given free cabins and food.

Meanwhile, Stena Line praised crew members aboard its Adventurer ferry who "went above and beyond" to help two sea-sick parents and their tired children during an "extremely uncomfortable" Dublin to Holyhead crossing.

Head of UK Port Authorities, Ian Davies said: "It was right to sail in the first place, well within the safety standards.

"Masters won't attempt to berth a ship with those kind of wind conditions."

It came as a coastal promenade in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, saw its worst damage in eight years.

Richard Griffiths, who owns the Richmond Hotel on the town's seafront, said there were two big holes in the sea wall and it was the worst since it was extensively damaged in 2014.

Wind speeds of 86mph (138km/h) were recorded in Aberdaron, Gwynedd, on Tuesday, according to the Met Office.

Mr Griffiths said waves had brought a lot of debris on to the sea wall in the Ceredigion town.

"There have been flowerbeds destroyed, vans with smashed windows," he said.

He added that part of the bandstand, which was built in 2016 to replace the old bandstand, was severely damaged with the council coming out overnight to monitor the situation.

In Bridgend county, strong waves and gale-force winds at the Porthcawl breakwater caused scaffolding to collapse. No-one was injured, but the collapsed scaffolding must remain in place until weather and tidal conditions improve, the council said.

The Met Office described the 86mph wind as "violent storm force" after the strongest gust recorded during Storm Arwen was 81mph (130km/h) in Aberporth, Ceredigion.

Ferry services between Rosslare and Fishguard were cancelled and services between Holyhead and Dublin were delayed on Wednesday.

NRW warned people to "be cautious of weakened trees in our forests and of high waves along the coast".

Ysgol Bryngwyn school in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, will remain closed for the rest of the week after the roof was torn off by the wind on Tuesday.

The B4303 Dafen Road remains closed, however access to the nearby Prince Philip Hospital is available.

Storm Arwen caused havoc and left thousands without power the weekend before last, roads were blocked and rail services suspended.

A woman was almost hit by a tree in a pub beer garden, and contestants on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here had to leave the set due to storm damage.