WIGHTLINK was under fire in the House of Commons today, accused of betraying passengers who buy expensive ‘Multilink’ tickets.

Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner staged a debate amid growing criticism of the quality of the ferry services relied upon by his constituents.

And the Conservative backbencher urged Wightlink to act on rising complaints from passengers with Multilink passes left and dry – despite there being empty spaces on the boat.

The Better Ferry Campaign has highlighted protests from people who have spent thousands of pounds on the passes, only to be told they must wait for a later sailing.

Mr Turner told ministers: “Wightlink have a multi-link ticket system for Islanders. People pay in advance for multiple crossings, giving the company hundreds of pounds in advance for their travel.

“But Multilink ticket holders are rewarded for their loyalty by being denied access to many popular ferry crossings.”

The MP quoted one angry islander, who said: “I’m fed up with not being able to book with my Multilink ticket - only to find there are dozens of spaces if I pay the non-residents fare. Get a grip Wightlink.”

Mr Turner also protested that higher public spending in Scotland gave state-owned Cal Mac an annual grant of £73m, to subsidise ferry services north of the border.

In contrast, he said: “My constituents, living on the Isle of Wight, receive no such benefit.

“They pay the full operating costs plus profits and they have to pay to service the companies’ massive debts.”