LORD and Lady Montagu of Beaulieu have signed up to support the Daily Echo's campaign to save the Hythe Ferry.

The Montagu family say they are proud of the rich history connecting them to the service from Hythe to Southampton. Lord Montagu's father and grandfather served on the board of directors of "The Hythe Pier and Hythe and Southampton Ferry Company", as the service was then known.

Lord Montagu, 78, told the Daily Echo: "It's a jolly good campaign, I hope we will win. The ferry is part of Hampshire's heritage and it would be a disaster if it went.

"It is a vital link for the people of Hythe and the Waterside and it is environmentally friendly."

Lord Montagu holds great affection for the ferry and is one of scores of local people who have sponsored a plank on the pier to raise money for vital restoration work.

Reminiscing about fond memories of climbing aboard the ferry, he said: "When I was a child we loved going on the train. As a child, one used it an awful lot because there were not many other forms of public transport, apart from a bus that came through the village about once a week.

"During the war, when there was no petrol, I had to go to Southampton on the ferry for my driving lessons. That was before I joined the Army so I must have been 16 or 17."

While Lord Montagu added his name to our petition to save the ferry during a recent visit to Hythe Medical Centre, Lady Montagu signed it a little closer to home.

She said: "When one of the staff brought in the Echo petition to save the Hythe Ferry I was delighted to add my name.

"The ferry is regularly used and relied upon by many people for whom it would be a hardship if it were to cease to run. It is also one of the most enduring features of Hythe village and it would be a tragedy if it ceased to run after hundreds of years of service to the community."

White Horse Ferries are holding their breath after a specialist valuation officer paid a recent visit to Hythe to review their soaring business rates bills. Ferry bosses say if their bill is not significantly reduced, they will be forced out of business.

For more on the battle to save Hythe's ferry and the opportunity to download a copy of the petition - click the 'Campaigns' link on the left of this page.