Suspended Hayling Island ferry back in service

The Hayling Island ferry is the only alternative to a 30-mile round trip by road

A Hampshire passenger ferry which was deemed unsafe during a routine safety inspection in November and taken out of service has been reinstated.

The Pride of Hayling, which travels between Portsmouth and Hayling Island, was again inspected by coastguards a week later but failed a second check.

Life-jackets were defective and staff members were not "able to cope" with a set of emergency scenarios put to them.

The issues have now been put right and ferry has been given the all clear.

A third inspection by The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) was carried out on Thursday and operator Edwards and Co resumed the service.

While it was out of action the only alternative to the three-minute ferry ride was a 30-mile round trip by road.

The Hayling Island ferry is used by 70 children to get to school each day and can travel up to 30 times a day during the week.

A service has been running for more than 200 years.