Condor ferries defends its cost to the Kennel Club of Jersey

The Kennel Club said it was concerned UK residents would not pay to take part in Jersey dog shows

Condor ferries has defended its pricing after the Kennel Club of Jersey complained the cost of travelling to the UK had more than doubled.

Kennel club members said clarification of regulations meant vehicles without rear windows were now classified as vans and private freight transport.

This caused a return ticket to increase in price from £192 to £500.

Jan Milner, from Condor, said the regulations had been clarified because of previous "mis-declaration".

'Vehicle confiscated'

President of the Kennel Club of Jersey, Stephen Edwards, said: "I normally go away to four or five shows a year - that's £2,5000 worth of travel which makes it completely inaccessible.

"Next year is our 125th year and we have a two-day show.

"We're hoping to get lots of exhibitors over from the UK and all of a sudden they've got to pay £500 to show one dog for three minutes, it's just not going to help us get people over."

Mr Milner said the company had not re-categorised vehicles, but had clarified regulations.

He said: "In the past it's been a slightly grey area where vehicles have travelled and been booked as cars and turned up as vans and we have been finding there's been a fair amount of mis-declaration.

"The risk to the customer and the risk to us is if the correct paperwork is not produced in the UK you could end up with your vehicle confiscated and the ferry company fined."