CROSS-CHANNEL passengers will notice "very little change in service" despite P&O pulling out of its Portsmouth operation, because Brittany ferries is stepping in to fill the vacuum, the company said today.

Brittany Ferries revealed it is planning to fill the void left by P&O with a Portsmouth to Cherbourg route, using its luxury cruise-ferry, Val de Loire. And it vowed not to bump-up fares now it was the only major cross-Channel operator in the historic port.

Shipping giant P&O sent shock-waves through the county when it announced last month it was axing its loss-making cross-Channel operation from Portsmouth.

The move was part of a nationwide restructuring that saw P&O shed eight ships and 1,200 jobs, including hundreds in Portsmouth.

But the bitter pill was sweetened by news that Brittany Ferries had signed a "memorandum of understanding" with P&O to take on two of its ferries and run a service to Le Havre.

The deal saved scores of jobs and offset the blow to the local economy. Although still subject to regulatory approval from the Office of Fair Trading, which could refer it to the Competition Commission, industry insiders expect it to get the green light.

Brittany Ferries also plans to launch a fast- craft service on the Cherbourg route in mid- March 2005 and is on the verge of unveiling plans for a similar service to Caen.

A spokesman for Brittany Ferries vowed fares wouldn't shoot up.

He said: "We are looking at simplifying our fare structure with the aim of bringing fares down overall."

Brittany Ferries MD David Longden said: "These are challenging times for the ferry industry. The developments will enable us to provide our customers, both passenger and freight, with the reassurance of route choice and the highest level of service.

"Many people, particularly those who have a property in France and are used to travelling via Cherbourg, will be reassured by our plans to provide continuity of service."

Portsmouth ferry port manager Phillip Gadd said: "Obviously we welcome the news. Any service is important and we have been running to Cherbourg for many years, so we welcome the continuation of that."

Details of Brittany Ferries schedules will be unveiled within the next month.