Windermere ferry fire aftermath cost council £420k

The ferry was closed from May to October

An engine fire which put a ferry out of action for five months cost a council £420,000, a report has revealed.

More than 80 passengers and crew had to be evacuated after the Mallard, which crosses Windermere, caught ablaze on 27 May.

It did not sail again until 27 October costing Cumbria County Council £320,000 in lost revenue.

The majority of a £100,000 repair bill can be claimed back through insurance, the council said.

The details have been revealed in a report to go before the South Lakeland Local Committee, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The blaze was sparked when a hydraulic hose burst in the engine room resulting in fluid being sprayed on a hot engine, the report said.

The council said it had now put in place a number of measures to prevent it happening again.

The Mallard can ferry up to 100 passengers and 18 vehicles between Ferry Nab, Bowness and Far Sawrey, Hawkshead.