Cowes Floating Bridge: Ferry back in service after oil leak
The Isle of Wight's troubled chain ferry is back in service a week after it was halted by a hydraulic oil leak.
Isle of Wight Council suspended the floating bridge amid fears the problem would "ultimately dispose of hydraulic oil" into the River Medina. At the time, the ferry had been in service for 10 days following repairs to its loading ramps. It was also laid up for three months after a hydraulic fault, found during routine maintenance work in July. The council spokesman said no oil had been discharged into the river. The £3.2m ferry, which crosses the River Medina between Cowes and East Cowes, has been beset with problems since it replaced the previous Floating Bridge 5 in May 2017. The replacement vessel has suffered broken chains, electrical and hydraulic faults and there has also been damage to cars. When the service is closed, drivers must make a detour of up to 11 miles (18km).