Strangford passenger ferry suspended due to high winds

Image source, Kintra Boat Tours

Image caption, The passenger ferry is a catamaran operated by Kintra Boat Tours

The Strangford Lough passenger ferry has been suspended due to high winds.

It comes as the vehicle service ferry was suspended last week to allow for essential health and safety works to the slipways.

A passenger-only ferry was introduced in the interim to operate at a vastly reduced timetable for a five-week period until the works were complete.

In a statement, the Department for Infrastructure said: "The service will continue for as long as safe operation permits to allow as many as possible to make travel arrangements."

Bus substitutions are in place for school pupils who would have otherwise relied on the passenger ferry on Friday afternoon.

The department added that Sunday's ferry service may also be disrupted due to further weather warnings in place from 03:00 BST until midnight on Sunday due to the landing of Storm Ashley.

The Strangford ferry links the southern tip of the Ards Peninsula in Portaferry with Strangford village on the Lecale peninsula.

The journey across the lough by boat is about a mile. By car it is almost 46 miles.