Cowes Floating Bridge: 'Major fault' identified on three-year-old ferry

Residents have previously protested against the floating bridge, which was nicknamed Floaty McFloatfarce

A "major fault" has been found with a £3.2m chain ferry that has suffered repeated technical problems since coming into service three years ago.

The Isle of Wight's Cowes Floating Bridge was undergoing scheduled maintenance when engineers identified the problem with its hydraulic system.

It is the latest in a series of mechanical problems the ferry has endured since being launched in 2017.

The council said the service would resume as soon as possible.

The Floating Bridge had been due to undergo the maintenance earlier in the year but this was delayed until July in order to provide a link to mainland ferry services during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, Isle of Wight Council said: "Unfortunately whilst undergoing tests prior to returning to service, a major fault with the hydraulic system has been identified.

"The shipbuilders and their approved contractors have investigated this and advised the council that the vessel cannot currently return to service as originally planned."

The £3.2m Floating Bridge Number 6 has been beset by problems since entering service in May 2017

The authority said it would provide an update on timescales at the end of the week and apologised for the inconvenience.

A launch service for foot passengers is running between Cowes and East Cowes while the ferry is out service but drivers face a detour of up to 11 miles (18km).

Residents have previously protested over the repeated problems, which have included the ferry regularly running aground, being taken out of service after a chain broke and electrical faults.