No replacement found for faulty Sandbanks Ferry

Repairs to the Bramble Bush Bay are expected to last until the end of October

The company which runs a defective ferry has failed to find a sufficient replacement, it has said.

The Sandbanks Ferry, which crosses the mouth of Poole Harbour, was taken out of service on 12 July after its drive shaft broke.

Work on the Bramble Bush Bay is expected to last until the end of October, with people facing a 25-mile (40km) diversion.

The Sandbanks Ferry Company said passenger safety was its main concern.

It investigated replacing it with a ferry from Germany, but found it did not comply with UK regulations.

It has also considered partnering up with the Brownsea Island Ferry Company to run a service from a temporary floating pontoon at Shell Bay in Studland to the existing Brownsea Island Ferry jetty in Sandbanks.

The company said passenger safety was its main concern

Managing director Mike Kean said: "We have been working tirelessly to investigate all potentially viable options until the chain ferry returns to service, including options put forward by the Studland community."

But he said the proposed pontoon "may be unsafe in certain tidal conditions and in poor weather" and any temporary ferry service "may be suspended at short notice should conditions change suddenly, running the risk of leaving passengers stranded".

He added: "We cannot, and will not, compromise on passenger safety, which continues to be our number one priority as we progress these plans."

He said all alternatives, including those put forward by the public, were being looked at "as a priority".

Studland Parish Council previously said the ferry operator should lose its right to operate the service.

The vessel was suspended for nearly three months last winter due to annual maintenance and then a hydraulic issue. It only ran on two days between 29 October and 28 January.