ESSENTIAL maintenance and inspection work to the Windermere Ferry has progressed well and the crew are now looking forward to getting it back on the water at the end of this week.

It is anticipated the ferry will be towed back up to Ferry Nab today.

It will then take three days to reconnect the ferry onto its cable and to carry out further testing.

The final inspection by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) of the Mallard has now been confirmed for Friday. Subject to MCA sign-off the ferry services will start on Friday evening, and operate as normal from next Saturday March 30.

A spokesman from Cumbria County Council said: “We apologise again for any inconvenience that users have experienced whilst we carried out this essential maintenance.”

The ferry has been out of service since March 4 after it was taken out of the water for its five-yearly refit and full inspection.