Cowes Floating Bridge: Troubled island ferry back in action

The £3.2m vessel has had a number of technical faults and service interruptions

The Isle of Wight's chain ferry is back in service after repairs.

The ferry was suspended on 7 November just weeks after it returned to service following a three-month stoppage to repair its hydraulics.

Engineers uncovered a further problem during its latest breakdown which affected the loading ramps.

The £3.2m ferry which crosses the River Medina between Cowes and East Cowes has faced a catalogue of problems since entering service in May 2017.

Technical issues on the Cowes Floating Bridge have included broken chains, excessive noise, electrical and hydraulic faults and damage to cars.

When the council-owned ferry is out of service, a launch boat ferries foot passengers, while vehicles face a 11-mile (18km) detour via Newport.