Reprieve for 100 ferry firm jobs

Cross-Channel ferry operator SeaFrance's plans to restructure could cost 550 jobs, 100 fewer than first thought, it has been announced.

The company, which runs ferries between Dover and Calais, said it had revised its recovery plan.

SeaFrance said it would now include the "operation of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais on a limited basis" until December.

In February the firm said it needed to restructure to survive a "steep fall in the cross-Channel freight market".

In a statement, SeaFrance said: "The extent of the downsizing has been reduced from 650 positions to 550 positions. Negotiations are now moving forward with trade union partners."

LD Lines, which operates between Dover and Boulogne and Dieppe, had been planning to make a formal bid for SeaFrance.

However, it revealed in March that it had withdrawn its acquisition offer of a majority stake in SeaFrance, amid apparent union opposition.

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