Stena Line's Fishguard to Rosslare service has been temporarily suspended until the weekend.

The Stena Europe ferry had to be called into dry dock on short notice for urgent repairs.

A Stena Line spokesperson confirmed:

"Following a routine inspection of the ferry Stena Europe, Stena Line has taken the decision to send the vessel for repair at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.

"As a result, all sailings on the Fishguard - Rosslare route are cancelled between now and May 21.

"Repair work is being undertaken now ahead of the lifting of travel restrictions to the Republic of Ireland. Further updates will follow."

The Europe has not been replaced with a different ferry to cover the route, which is not taking bookings this week until Saturday, May 22.

The Fishguard to Rosslare route was badly hit by Brexit and Covid-19 at the beginning of this year with freight crossings down by 70 percent and a reduction in services.

However, last month the company announced that it was boosting the frequency of its sailings between Fishguard and Rosslare from 14 sailings to 24 every week.

With the easing of lockdown restrictions, and a hope that international tourist travel will resume shortly, Stena Line is anticipating a busy summer.

The Fishguard to Rosslare route is particularly popular with tourists as it offers the most convenient option with the shortest crossings between Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

For further assistance, contact Stena via the links below: - Travel passengers www.stenaline.co.uk/customer-services; - Freight customers www.stenalinefreight.com/contact.