Engine trouble leads to Red Funnel ferry delays

The Red Eagle ferry on the Southampton-East Cowes route has an issue with its main engine

Passengers set to sail on a car ferry have been warned of delays and cancellations after it suffered an engine problem.

Red Funnel said the technical issue with Red Eagle's main engine means sailings between Southampton and East Cowes, Isle of Wight, are disrupted.

Passengers are facing cancellations and delays of more than an hour.

Foot passengers are being advised to travel on the Southampton-West Cowes high-speed service.

In a statement, the ferry company said the delays were caused by a fault with the vessel's water pump cooling system.

As a result it cancelled the 16:00 BST crossing from Southampton, and the 14.30 and 17.30 crossings from East Cowes

"Our customer service team has contacted customers booked to travel on those services and is moving them to the next available crossing," it added.

Passengers planning to travel throughout Friday are advised to check Red Funnel's timetable.