Yellow Duckmarine boat licence revoked after two sinkings

The deputy traffic commissioner has revoked the vehicle licence of the company behind the Yellow Duckmarine boats.

In June, the firm that runs amphibious vehicle tours in Liverpool went into administration after one of its craft sank in Albert Dock.

It was the second sinking involving one of the boats in three months.

The deputy traffic commissioner said the vehicle operator's licence had been revoked "with immediate effect".

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is looking into the sinking of the boat earlier this year.

The second sinking of a Yellow Duckmarine boat in Albert Dock in June led to the licence being revoked

The deputy commissioner also recorded a warning against Pearlwild's transport manager, Linda McVey.

Loud bang

The Yellow Duckmarine operator had been called before the commissioner "as a result of an unsatisfactory maintenance investigation" in September 2012.

The company held a licence for four World War II GMC DUKW amphibious vehicles, capable of operating on the road and in the water.

The deputy commissioner was told there had been a loud bang on 30 March when Wacker Quacker 4 entered the water. The driver immediately exited the dock as "the rudder appeared to fail and the vehicle began turning in circles".

On 15 June, the inquiry heard, Wacker Quacker 1 sank in the dock after "a loud bang and water began rapidly to enter the saloon causing it to sink within a matter of moments".

The Queen and Prince Philip went on a trip around the dock on one of the vehicles during the Diamond Jubilee tour.

Meanwhile, a Canadian amphibious vehicle operator, Stephen Ouinet, told the BBC he is interested in running tours in Liverpool, adding that he has never had mechanical issues with his vehicles.