THE jinxed Fleetwood to Knott End ferry has been dealt another blow.
Council bosses halted the service at the weekend as essential safety work was needed on the jetty at the Fleetwood side of the river.
It is the latest problem to beset the ferry – named the Wyre Rose – following a series of breakdowns soon after i
ts arrival on the river in 2006.
The prospect of a bumper Bank Holiday was wiped out when possible problems were spotted with one of the piles which supports the jetty.
And Wyre Council officers are unsure when the service will be back.
In the meantime a replacement bus service is in operation.
Principal engineer Carl Green, said: "The council was alerted to a potential problem with the jetty and took the immediate decision to close the ferry dock as a safety precaution.
"The problem is linked to a small length of supporting pile on the jetty and as a result a contractor is currently undertaking repair work at the site.
"It is our hope the required work will be completed as soon as possible and the ferry service will be operational again at the earliest opportunity."
Ian Drury of Wyre Marine, which operates the Wyre Rose ferry for the council, said: "We were getting ready for a good Bank Holiday and Wyre Council requested we stop the service."
The £350,000 vessel was tied-up for most of 2006 with mechanical problems and delays in crew training.
But it bounced back last year. It had an excellent summer season with around 60,000 people using the service.
It proved so popular an hourly winter service was launched. The ferry cuts the 40-minute round-trip bus journey to just a few minutes.
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