Ferry cancellations due to crew shortage

A ferry operator has cancelled several high-speed services across the Solent due to staff shortages.

Red Funnel said the Red Jet between Southampton and West Cowes, Isle of Wight, would be running a revised timetable after it cut some crossings on Monday.

The operator said this would be in place until Wednesday and urged passengers to check for live service updates.

It also confirmed there would be an additional crossing in place for the Southampton FC match against Liverpool at St Mary's Stadium on Wednesday.

The operator apologised for "any inconvenience" and said the revised timetable was due to "limited availability of crew".

The additional crossing for the Saints match will run at 23:40 GMT, after the team faces Liverpool in the EFL Cup quarter final.

Red Funnel said: "To support fans making their way back to the island after the game, we've added an additional sailing to our Red Jet timetable for that evening."

A spokesperson added: "The situation relates to the rare instance of the unavailability of critical crew members due to sickness.

"Our team worked hard to explore all available alternatives, but due to legal requirements for staff rest, we were left with no option but to cancel some sailings.

"The revised timetable ensures a service is running throughout the day."

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