WIGHTLINK was under fire in the Commons last night, 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 on by his constituents.

The Conservative backbencher urged Wightlink to act on rising complaints from passengers with multilink passes left high and dry – despite there being empty spaces on boats.

The Better Ferry Campaign highlighted the plight of 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 multilink 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 Scot-land gave state-owned Cal Mac an annual grant of £73m to subsidise ferry services north of the border. In contrast he said: “My constituents receive no such benefit. They pay the full operating costs plus profits and they have to pay to service the company’s massive debts.”