P&O Ferries’ hopes of Dover crossings from Good Friday in doubt as ship ‘detained’ after inspection

P&O Ferries’ hopes of resuming cross-Channel services between Dover and Calais later this week have suffered a big blow after the Spirit of Britain was further detained for “deficiencies”.

The company, universally condemned for its treatment of almost 800 seafarers who were sacked without notice last month, had planned for the vessel’s new agency-led crew to begin crossings from Good Friday.

Such a move would have, potentially, enabled the company to support the effort to clear backlogs of freight traffic, mostly caused by the absence of its three Dover-based ships, and ferry Easter holidaymakers to France.

However, following a two-day reinspection of the Spirit of Britain by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), it was confirmed that it had failed a number of key safety tests and was declared not fit to be cleared for sea.

A spokesperson said: “The Spirit of Britain has been detained due to surveyors identifying a number of deficiencies which were grounds for detention.

“We have advised P&O to invite us back once they have addressed the issues. We do not know yet when this will be.”

It is unclear if the MCA was planning to imminently inspect the Pride of Canterbury or Pride of Kent, which also sail the Dover-Calais route in normal times.

The Pride of Hull, which operates between Hull and Rotterdam, and European Causeway between Larne and Cairnryan), are currently the only two P&O Ferries’ vessels to have been reinspected and allowed back to service.

The Pride of Kent remains under detention while the rest are yet to be checked.

P&O Ferries was yet to comment.

The sackings scandal has proved to be a thorn in the side of the government which has pushed for action against the company but, at the same time, it needs the P&O fleet back in service to curb the queues at Dover.