Cowes Floating Bridge: Ferry out of action until mid-November

The £3.2m vessel has been beset by technical faults and service interruptions

A chain ferry taken out of service in August is not expected to be up and running again until mid-November.

The Floating Bridge in Cowes, Isle of Wight, has been out of action since 26 August due to a major fault with one of its engines.

Isle of Wight Council said: "The extent of the damage is greater than originally anticipated and the repairs will take longer to complete."

The repair work had originally been expected to take up to four weeks.

While the ferry is out of action, foot passengers and cyclists can cross the water via a launch. Drivers face a detour via Newport of up to 11 miles (18km).

In a statement, the council said: "We can only apologise for the ongoing disruption."

The £3.2m ferry linking Cowes and East Cowes has been beset with problems since launching in May 2017.

Issues include broken chains, excessive noise, electrical faults, hydraulic leaks and cars scraping their bumpers.

The previous Conservative administration ruled out scrapping and replacing the vessel and announced legal action against its naval architect and builders.

A new independent administration replaced the Conservatives following council elections in May.

Replacing the chain ferry with a new vessel could take up to six years, a council report has said.