Cowes Floating Bridge: Troubled ferry service suspended again

The Floating Bridge on the Isle of Wight has been suspended

A chain ferry that has been dogged with issues for years has been suspended again.

The Floating Bridge, which runs between Cowes and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, was pulled from service on Monday evening.

Isle of Wight Council said recent floods had carried debris into its mechanisms, stopping its chains from working.

A replacement launch service is running for foot passengers and cyclists.

In a statement, the authority said: "After some investigation this morning, the issue seems to be with the chain tensions in the chain pits which were impeding the movement of the chains.

"It is likely that the recent floods etc. have carried debris into the chain pits that have fouled the movement of the chains.

"We are in the process of cleaning out the pits and once completed, it will be necessary to re-tension the chains."

It said "owing to the tides" the process would take place on Wednesday morning.

The bridge's performance will then be tested "at low, mid and high tide" with a view to returning it to service at 12:00 GMT.

The £3.2m ferry has had numerous issues since being introduced.

It was out of action for a month over the summer due to a software fault which cost Isle of Wight Council £112,000 in repair costs and lost revenue.

The suspension period included Cowes Week, a sailing event attracting thousands of people to the island.

The council said afterwards it undertook "preventative" maintenance works, designed to reduce further downtime in the future.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].