Full reopening of storm-damaged port delayed again

The full reopening of one of Britain's busiest ports has been delayed again the day before it was due to reopen.

Two berths at Holyhead, which links north Wales and Dublin, were damaged on 7 December during Storm Darragh, affecting thousands of travellers and parcel deliveries over Christmas, as well as businesses in the town.

One berth reopened on 15 January, while the second, Terminal 3, was originally set to reopen on 1 July, but was pushed back originally to Tuesday and now Friday.

However, Stena Line, which owns the port, has announced Terminal 3 will reopen on Saturday due to "adverse weather conditions" delaying the final repairs.

Stena Line and Irish Ferries have been running their regular four daily services from a single berth, rather than the usual two.

A temporary timetable for the partial reopening has been operating while the second berth is being repaired.

But traders in Holyhead said they had seen a huge drop in footfall and earnings since the damage to the port, which sees two million passengers a year and 1,200 lorries and trailers crossing every day.

Stena Line said: "We sincerely appreciate our customers patience and understanding, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused."