Coronavirus: Brittany Ferries extends halt to sailings

The boss of the ferry firm said he hoped the restrictions would be lifted at the end of the initial three-week quarantine period

The cancellation of all Brittany Ferries passenger services has been extended until the end of June.

The firm's boss, Christophe Mathieu, said the UK's "enormously frustrating" new travel quarantine rules had left him with "no choice".

Since Monday people arriving in the UK have been required to self-isolate for 14 days to help slow the spread of coronavirus,.

All sailings have been cancelled up to 28 June.

'Tearing our hair out'

The new rules started on 8 June and currently last for three weeks.

Mr Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries, said: "We are tearing our hair out on both sides of the Channel.

"I sometimes wonder if the politics of quarantine have become more important than taking decisions designed to protect the health, welfare and livelihoods of us all. It's enormously frustrating."

More than 200 travel companies have asked for the new rules to be scrapped.

The British Ports Association, which represents ferry companies, has spoken out against the measures - calling them "overzealous".

"I really hope that this will be the last round of cancellations. Summer is not cancelled yet. We can all still salvage something from this horrible year," Mr Mathieu said.

Sailings were abandoned in March as the coronavirus pandemic hit. The ferry firm had hoped to resume sailings from 15 June.

Brittany Ferries operates routes from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander and Bilbao and cross Channel ferries to France from Portsmouth, Poole, Plymouth and Cork.

P&O Cruises has extended its pause in sailings until mid-October. The suspension of Cunard cruises has been extended until November.

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