Hythe'S historic pier will be back in use tomorrow - just over nine weeks after its entire future was threatened by a dredger collision.

A gaping hole was left in the 123-year-old structure when it was hit by the 681-ton dredger Donald Redford on November 1.

The Hythe-to-Southampton ferry was forced to operate from the nearby Hythe Marina pontoon. However, this pontoon would only have been available until Friday as it is due to be taken out of commission for routine repairs.

But thanks to an all-out effort from construction contractor Dudley Barnes and from the ferry and pier's own maintenance crews, they have managed to reopen the old pier before the marina pontoon is closed.

And at 6.20am tomorrow, the crew will untie the mooring ropes and set off on their first regular service trip from the pier to Southampton's Town Quay for more than two months.

Peter Lay, a director of White Horse Ferries which owns the pier and runs the historic Hythe-to-Southampton services, said: "The stops have been pulled out in a very, very serious way.

"The contractors have done a great job and our own staff have shown total commitment in everything they have done. The old piles have been taken out, new ones have been driven in, lattice beams have been repaired and reconnected, tie beams have been replaced and we have replaced all the deck beams and repaired the railway track and the live rail connection."

He also explained that the sudden smashing of the rail connection when it was hit by the dredger blew the electric rail's transformer, which meant that a new one had to be specially made and delivered, and that final piece of the jigsaw was fitted in over the weekend.

The ferry's passenger figures dipped heavily because of the pier problems, but its operators are hoping the presence of Queen Mary 2 in Southampton docks will serve as a contributory factor in lifting those figures again.