P&O Ferries Suspends All Sailings Ahead Of Major Company Announcement, All Staff Reportedly Been Made Redundant

P&O Ferries has suspended all sailings immediately as it plans to make a major announcement that would "secure the long-term viability of P&O Ferries". A P&O spokesman said that despite speculation over what this announcement might entail, the company "is not going into liquidation".

The company made this announcement via Twitter: "Regretfully, P&O Ferries services are unable to run for the next few hours. Our port teams will guide you and travel will be arranged via an alternative operator. We apologise for the inconvenience this will have on your journey plans."

Among some confusion, P&O still asked people to arrive at the port at the normal time for their booked sailing. It said it intended to arrange alternative carriers as quickly as possible for those hoping to continue with their trips.

Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, said officials at his department were in urgent discussions with P&O Ferries after the matter was raised by Mike Kane, Shadow Minister for Transport. He added, "We have asked all ships to come alongside, in preparation for a company announcement."

In a breaking story, ITV News reported that all P&O Ferries staff had been made redundant with immediate effect. Karl Turner, Labour MP for East Hull, described the suspension of services "troubling for crews and their families". Hull is one of P&O Ferries major freight ports. He said that a foreign crew was waiting to board the Pride of Hull on King George Dock, but that RMT union members were refusing to let them board the ship.

P&O Ferries operates four routes: Dover to Calais; Hull to Rotterdam; Liverpool to Dublin; and Cairnryan, Scotland to Larne, Northern Ireland. Motorists and HGV freight drivers intending to use the Dover to Calais route will likely be asked to use alternative shipping lines such as DFDS, or the Channel Tunnel. The Dover Traffic Assessment Project (TAP) has been activated on the A20 due to heavy and building freight traffic.

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