Cowes Floating Bridge: Chain ferry set to halt for 'essential' fix

The £3.2m Floating Bridge Number 6 runs between Cowes and East Cowes

A chain ferry well-known for its breakdowns and problems is set to be pulled from service.

The Isle of Wight Floating Bridge needs work on its prow to stop it making so much noise when it arrives on the slipway.

The chain ferry returned to service on Saturday afternoon after breaking down on Wednesday with an electrical fault.

The repair will see the ferry taken out of service on Monday from 08:00 BST - it is set to run again at 14:00.

Planned maintenance work was carried out on the vessel on 22 September.

Isle of Wight Council said the latest repair was within the "current schedule".

The authority said: "As the new 'shoe' is required to minimise noise from emanating from the prow impacting the slipway it is essential that this work is completed at the earliest opportunity."

A launch for foot passengers and cyclists runs while the vessel is not operating. Vehicles face a 12-mile detour via Newport.

The £3.2m boat, which runs between Cowes and East Cowes, has been plagued with breakdowns and problems, including broken chains, excessive noise and cars scraping their bumpers since it started running in 2017.

The Isle of Wight Council began legal mediation in February, aiming to get back some of the money lost through repairs, fees and added costs, including a replacement launch.

It followed years of talks and a government report that said the vessel was "potentially poorly designed" with "several apparent design" issues.

The Cabinet Office report, published in January, found a working service was "feasible" but said the chain ferry had "significant issues".

In July, the Local Democracy Reporting Service quoted Phil Jordan, member for transport, saying an announcement concerning the mediation would be made "in the very near future".

The council, run by an independent administration, has not ruled out replacing Floating Bridge 6 altogether.