‘ Force P& O to keep ferry route open’

P& O FERRIES should be forced to keep a vital North Sea route open after it was handed a “lucrative” post- Brexit Government contract, according to an MP.

Earlier this month it emerged that the ferry operator was looking to scrap the Hull- Zeebrugge route and sell the two ships that normally make the nightly 14hour crossing.

Yesterday the Department for Transport announced that it had signed agreements worth a total of £ 77.6m with the firm, along with Brittany Ferries, DFDS and St en a Line to ensure the“smooth” flow of vital supplies into the UK after the Brexit transition period ends on December 31.

The contracts secure freight capacity for up to six months on nine routes including to Hull and Teesside, which are less likely to be disrupted than Channel ports.

Hull East MP Karl Turner said P& O had already had £1.2 m from Government for freight contracts on the Hull- Zeebrugge route during lockdown, and it was time for the operator to “start to deliver”.

He said: “This is another example of P& O taking lucrative Government contracts, but unfortunately not delivering in terms of protecting the route which is important to businesses in Hull and the surrounding area. The Government should be forcing P& O to keep the route open if they are getting a big chunk of these £ 77m post Brexit monies.”

The RMT union said that any financial support “must be on the condition” that seafarer jobs in coastal communities are protected.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the measures would “safeguard the smooth and successful flow of freight”.

Should the capacity not be required, termination costs “would reflect a fraction of the full contract amount”, the DfT said.

P& O declined to comment.