Cowes Floating Bridge ferry 'out of action for weeks'

The £3.2m Cowes Floating Bridge replaced an older ferry in 2017

A "major fault" on a three-year-old chain ferry will not be fixed for several weeks at least, a council has indicated.

The £3.2m Cowes Floating Bridge has suffered repeated technical problems since coming into service in 2017.

Isle of Wight Council said work would start on Monday to diagnose the cause of the hydraulic fault, which was detected during maintenance in July.

It said a completion date for repairs should be known by the end of August.

Residents have previously protested over the ferry's repeated technical problems

The council, which operates the ferry, apologised for the ongoing disruption and said arrangements had been made to remove main components of the hydraulic system for examination.

In a statement it said: "By the end of August we will know the cause, extent of the issue, date for completion of the works and return to service."

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