MORE THAN 15,000 people have queued up in the streets to sign a petition against a 121-year-old Hampshire ferry company being taken over by an outside firm.

In the space of two-and-a-half weeks a phenomenal number of Fareham and Gosport residents have shown their fury over a proposed takeover of the Gosport to Portsmouth ferry by another company.

The lifeline service to Portsmouth has provided residents with a vital passage to the city for work and social purposes for decades.

Now locals are worried that their reliable community-driven amenity will be tampered with if it is run by the Falklands Islands Company, which they claim is unaware of the area's needs.

Former council leader and Bridgemary councillor Sean Cully said that people have literally been forming queues in Gosport High Street to sign the petition.

He said: "It shows a tremendous strength of feeling against the bid. People are not happy about it."

Gosport Ferry manager, Graham Phillips, said he was overwhelmed by the support: "This is what the local people have to say about this. They are the customers. Staff morale couldn't get any lower at the moment. We have run this company for 121 years.

"Whether it will be taken over is for the shareholders to decide. But at least the people of Gosport have been given their say."

But Falklands Islands Company chairman David Hudd said there was no need for locals to worry as nothing would be changed.

He said: "Why would we change anything? We are very happy with the way the service is run and will keep all the existing staff - they have been there for years. We have looked after the people in the Falklands for 150 years and will do the same for the Gosport ferry. We understand the culture of the community - it is much the same as ours."

Gosport MP Peter Viggers has been offered a seat on the company's board to look after residents' interests should the bid be successful - a move that has been attacked by the town's Labour party councillors, who think he should be backing Gosport people and not joining the opposition.

But Mr Viggers said: "I want to assure local people that I will not receive any money. My position on the board will be to ensure that local people's interests are observed."

Shareholders are due to decide today whether to accept the bid by the Falklands Islands Company to run the service.