Repaired Sandbanks chain ferry returns after two-month delay

The ferry, called Bramble Bush Bay, saves users a 25-mile car journey between Bournemouth and Swanage

A chain ferry that was seriously damaged while en route to a refit has returned to service.

The Sandbanks Ferry suffered damage in November while being towed from its base in Poole, Dorset, to a dock in Falmouth, Cornwall.

Replacement prows had to be imported and fitted, extending the time out of service by about two months.

The ferry firm's managing director Jason du Toit said he was delighted the "long haul for staff" had ended.

He said the costs of the refit, damage repair and lost business had not yet been determined.

"Every time we turned a corner we were faced with an additional challenge," he said.

"I can tell you we haven't had to lay off any staff and we've paid them in full."

The vessel - named Bramble Bush Bay - was due to return in December from its biennial major refit.

The ferry saves motorists from a 25-mile (40km) journey by road from Bournemouth to Swanage.

Brought into service in 1994, it takes the vessel about four minutes to make the crossing from Sandbanks to Shell Bay.