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Fault left cars stuck on Condor ferry in Portsmouth for 12 hours Fault left cars stuck on Condor ferry in Portsmouth for 12 hours
(35 minutes later)
Dozens of vehicles had to wait more than 12 hours on a ferry in Portsmouth after a ramp used to disembark failed. Dozens of vehicles were stuck on a ferry in Portsmouth for more than 12 hours after a ramp to disembark failed.
Condor Ferries' Commodore Clipper arrived from Jersey at about 07:00 GMT, but a problem with the internal ramp meant cars were unable to get off. The Condor Ferries service arrived from Jersey at about 07:00 GMT, but a fault with the internal ramp meant cars on the upper deck were unable to get off.
Condor Ferries tweeted shortly after 20:00 GMT saying all passengers and vehicles had by then disembarked. Condor said 110 people and 44 vehicles had been stuck, but said they had all disembarked shortly before 20:00 GMT.
Passenger Kit Ashton, from Jersey, said a crane was needed to help cars off, saying it had been "a nightmare". Passenger Kit Ashton, from Jersey, said a crane had been needed to help cars off, describing it as "a nightmare".
He was one of a number of passengers who had been moved on to the ferry after the Condor Liberation earlier suffered a technical problem and was cancelled. Condor said the fault meant it had not been possible to lower the ramp from the upper vehicle deck of its Commodore Clipper ferry.
"We got off just before 20:00 so it was basically 26 hours since I checked in. I has been an absolute nightmare. The firm said foot passengers had been able to disembark upon arrival, but engineers had to work throughout the day to lower the ramp. They required a specialist crane to help, it said in a statement.
"I should have been in Poole at 23:00 last night and here I am in Portsmouth 26 hours later," he added. Mr Ashton was one of a number of passengers who had already been moved to the Clipper ferry, having originally been booked on Condor's Liberation ferry.
Mr Ashton, who was heading to Exeter, said a several animals were also on the vessel, including several dogs and a horse. The Liberation developed two technical faults on Friday and its services between the Channel Islands and Poole had been cancelled.
He said passengers had to wait while a crane arrived to help support the ramp and while engineers then worked to attach it. Mr Ashton said: "We got off just before 20:00, so it was basically 26 hours since I checked in. It has been an absolute nightmare.
He called on Condor to improve services to the Channel Islands. "I should have been in Poole at 23:00 last night, but here I am in Portsmouth 26 hours later," he added.
Foot passengers had earlier disembarked, but the drivers of 44 vehicles were told the ramp might not be fixed for several hours.
Condor Liberation ferry services between the Channel Islands and the UK had already been cancelled on Saturday following a technical problem with the vessel.
AnalysisAnalysis
By Paul Clifton, BBC South's transport correspondentBy Paul Clifton, BBC South's transport correspondent
This is the latest in a string of technical failures to hit Condor Ferries in the past year.This is the latest in a string of technical failures to hit Condor Ferries in the past year.
The fast ferry Liberation has endured breakdowns and incidents and now the normally reliable Commodore Clipper is adding to the company's difficulties.The fast ferry Liberation has endured breakdowns and incidents and now the normally reliable Commodore Clipper is adding to the company's difficulties.
It all means that Condor is hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons more frequently than other ferry operators.It all means that Condor is hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons more frequently than other ferry operators.
Mr Ashton, who was travelling to Exeter, said several animals were also on board the vessel, including several dogs and a horse.
He said passengers had to wait while the crane arrived to help support the ramp. He called on Condor to improve services to the Channel Islands.
Condor's executive chairman, Russell Kew, said: "I'd like to apologise to all those customers who have been inconvenienced over the last 24 hours, and to thank them for their understanding and patience."