Isle of Wight ferry out of action after river engine trouble

The ferry made contact with a navigation post and small boat

Cross Solent ferry services are being disrupted after a vessel suffered engine trouble on a Hampshire river.

Wightlink's Wight Sun was taken out of service for repairs after making "light contact" with a navigation post and small boat on the Lymington River on Sunday morning.

The company blamed it on a failed forward propulsion unit.

Four sailings between Yarmouth and Lymington on Monday have been cancelled.

The company said Wight Sun "lost manoeuvrability" and came close to, but did not strike, a barge containing rocks for breakwater work.

It was helped by the Harbour Master's motor launch and was able to continue to Yarmouth before being taken out of service.

It comes a fortnight after a ferry on the company's Portsmouth-Fishbourne route was removed from service after its upper car deck collapsed.