Coronavirus: Condor repatriating Channel Islanders

Condor will be interrupting passenger services for a week in line with advice to avoid non-essential travel

Channel Islanders and French residents are being repatriated from St Malo ahead of services being suspended to stem the coronavirus outbreak.

Condor Ferries said it would return people to Jersey and Guernsey on Thursday and Sunday as it heeds advice to avoid all non-essential travel.

Passengers between the UK and the islands will be offered a service on either Thursday or Monday.

CEO Paul Luxon said they were committed to "bringing families home".

Condor said the decision followed French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement he would close the frontier to stem the spread of the virus on Wednesday.

It will suspend all passenger services between 24 March to 2 April.

Freight crossings from Portsmouth to the islands and from St Malo will carry on as usual.

"We remain absolutely committed to bringing families home, so our priority is to ensure that such essential travel takes place," Mr Luxon said.

"This is a pragmatic approach given the government advice available in what is clearly an evolving situation."

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Mr Luxon said they hoped to resume services ahead of the Easter school holidays but warned plans may change given the "unprecedented" situation.

It comes after Condor offered freight-only services on one of its passenger boats in a bit to contain the spread of coronavirus.