SMALL businesses in Purbeck are being ‘put at risk’ because of the out-of-action Sandbanks Ferry, the Swanage Chamber of Trade says.

Aside for two days earlier this month, ferry services have been suspended for the past nine weeks.

The last public information from ferry operator, The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company, was that technical issues meant the vessel would not be back in service until the New Year.

Yesterday, ferry workers told the Echo they would have a better idea of timescales by the end of this week, and would be putting details out on their website at this time.

Swanage Chamber of Trade chairman Caroline Finch told the Daily Echo the timing of the scheduled refit, the ferry’s late arrival back at Sandbanks and the subsequent problems which shut it to traffic just two days later, had combined to “badly affect” small businesses, putting many of them “at risk.”

She explained: “The closure has dramatically affected trade in retail and hospitality in the town.

“Swanage has been very, very quiet for this time of the year.

“Shop owners are definitely seeing sales that have been significantly reduced while the ferry has been out of action. We need a ferry that is reliable, with a toll that is reasonable.”

Retailers in Swanage, Caroline says, are also unhappy about the timings of the scheduled refits - which always take place during the Christmas run-up.

“The ferry usually comes back late and this time it was really late,” she added. “Small businesses have been put at risk because it has affected all of their Christmas trade.

“I have never personally seen the town so quiet, we rely on visitors coming across on the ferry.”

Firefighters were called to the ferry on December 21, just two days after the vessel had recommenced regular crossings following seven weeks of maintenance work.

The problem was later identified as a hydraulic leak, which generated steam and triggered the alarms.

Issuing a statement on Christmas Eve, the ferry firm, explained: “Due to the severity of the problem, and the amount of work involved in checking these critical systems the ferry will not be back in service before the New Year, at which time we hope to be able to update further.”