FEARS that the Barfleur may not return to Poole have been expressed by the town’s tourism chief.

Commenting on the decision by Brittany Ferries not to run the cross-Channel ferry this year, Bruce Grant-Braham, chairman of Poole Tourism Panel, described the decision as “very disappointing”.

He said: “It’s very good to have a link with the continent particularly in the year we are hoping a lot more visitors would come across with the Olympics in mind.

“It’s an easy hop from Cherbourg to Poole for a stay in Dorset. It’s a blow to that scenario, certainly.”

He said he had been in close touch with the president of Cherbourg tourism, Gilles Le Chevalier, but both had come up against a “brick wall”.

The failure recently of SeaFrance was an indication of the hurdles faced by cross Channel ferry companies he said, with the economic situation, huge fuel bills, the rise of budget flights and the Channel Tunnel.

“I don’t think any of us would like to take the Barfleur to a petrol station and fill her up with fuel,” he said.

“We have got the fast cat service during the summer so we are not totally cut off from the nearest European country.”

He said they would like to push for something in place of the Barfleur however, “Economic times would have to be better.

“Hopefully something will be back. I’m not sure it will be Barfleur.”

Tony Watts, who is involved with all of Dorset’s twinning groups, including Poole with Cherbourg, also expressed his disappointment.

“It’s very disappointing, I think for a lot of people. People who make a regular thing of going across for shopping or because they have a second home, it’s going to be difficult.”

He said the twinning would continue and the matter would be raised at a meeting of Dorset twinning groups.

Brittany Ferries announced on Friday that the popular ferry would not be returning this year, citing the economic situation and the fuel price.

Mike Bevens, group passenger commercial director, said: “The fact is the UK and European situation in 2012 is not at all positive. We feel that to add more capacity would be foolhardy.”