THE dredger that ripped a huge gap in Hythe Pier has also knocked a hole in the numbers of people using the Hythe to Southampton ferry.

The service has been battling bravely to keep its head above water after the pier was put out of action when it was struck by the Donald Redford last Saturday night. It has switched its Hythe departure base to the nearby Marina Pontoon and has also had to use a smaller ferry until yesterday when its bigger regular boats were brought back.

Peter Lay, a director of White Horse Ferries which runs the service, said there had been a significant drop in passenger numbers. The biggest blow came on Monday when 575 people used the service, compared with 1,651 the previous Monday.

"We are doing everything we can to keep the service running as smoothly and efficiently as we can by running a shuttle bus from the pier entrance and enabling people to buy their tickets either at the pier or at the Marina Pontoon," said Mr Lay.

"Fortunately, the numbers are going back up now and, with our regular boats, Great Expectations and Hotspur IV, now back in service we are hoping passenger numbers will continue to go upwards," Mr Ley said.

One key factor in the return of the bigger boats is that they can accommodate bicycles.

The exact cost and the length of time the pier is likely to be out of use are still being assessed.