There has to be a way of saving our ferry.

When the last boat for Hythe leaves Southampton’s Town Quay for the final time, those aboard will be joined by the ghosts of a million passengers past, and maybe a thousand crew.

For almost two hundred years, some twenty or more steamers and motorboats in their various guises have made light of heavy seas, driving rain, snow and ice, pea-souper fogs, dodged criss-crossing pleasure craft and great liners and evaded Goering’s bombs indiscriminately raining from the skies.

On their decks people have been joyous and sad, have laughed and cried, argued and kissed; there’s not an emotion that hasn’t been played out as the boats have made the ten minutes crossing on dark cold winter mornings, throughout long hot summer days and into evenings not knowing what our erratic British weather would serve up tomorrow.

READ MORE: Hythe Ferry to cease operating on New Year's Eve

It seems nobody loves the Hythe Ferry anymore. No, that’s not really true. Just not enough of us do.

There are those of us who will mourn its passing and there will be those who just don’t give a jot.

Whichever view is taken, it cannot be argued a disaster is unfolding for the community in Hythe.

The ferry traffic isn’t just one way. Our economy will be adversely affected as visitors from across the water and further afield will no longer be able to make the passage bringing their custom to our local shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants.

There no longer being a ferry, how do those regular users get to work, visit the city stores, get to watch their football?

Will they switch to stuffy subsidised buses? Some might, but the greater number will take their cars on to the already choked A326, furthering congestion and pollution.

This really mustn’t be the end.

ALAN TITHERIDGE Hythe