WITH the cost of childcare soaring, Lisa Taylor knows that the one person she can always rely on to lend a hand is her mum.

Grandmother Christine Ryder lives in Dibden Purlieu and uses the Hythe Ferry to pick up her little grandson to look after him every day.

With mum waving goodbye on the quayside, Christine takes 22-month-old Dylan Price back to the Waterside so that Lisa can go to work.

When work is over, Mrs Ryder catches the ferry back to Southampton to return Dylan to his mum.

Now she is backing the Daily Echo's campaign to save the vital service which runs between the city centre and the Waterside seven days a week.

With business rates spiralling by 740 per cent, ferry bosses have said they will not be able afford to pay thousands of extra pounds.

They claim they could be forced to pull the plug on the route that carries 400,000 passengers every year.

Like hundreds of other people that have signed our petition, Mrs Ryder is desperate for the link to be kept afloat.

"We use the ferry four times a day every day," said Christine, 43, of The Brackens.

"My daughter lives in Woolston and works in Hamble so she relies on me for childcare.

"If we couldn't use the ferry one of us would have to drive to pick him up and drop him off every day. It would take so much longer that way and it is too expensive to put him into childcare."

Time is precious for Lisa every morning because, after driving to the Town Quay terminal to drop Dylan off, she has to take her other son to school before making it to work on time in Hamble.

Valuation officers have pledged to review the rates bill after White Horse Ferries Ltd warned that it could put them out of business.

Do you believe that Hythe Ferry should be saved? Ring Sarah Jones on 01590 613839 and tell her what the service means to you.