Anger as cars doused in salt water on board Condor ferry

Jean Dean, 56, is one of many islanders who have raised concerns at being made to park on the upper car deck at the bow of the £50m. vessel.

She recently travelled to Poole and was given assurances from a crew member that her car would stay dry when she was asked to park it in the open bow.

'I also voiced my concern to a stewardess directing passengers to their seating areas but she just laughed and said it would only get wet if it rained.

'When I went to the lounge, I watched as the cars were plastered in salt water for three hours.

'It does make me angry and everybody there was unhappy about it because when we drove off the boat we couldn't see out the windows because they were covered in salt water. I had to find a garage to wash my car so I could safely drive, never mind the longer-term damage three hours of salt water did to my car.

'When you pay to have your vehicle transported, it should be treated with care and respect.'

Condor has defended its position, saying that when loading car ferries, it was important for both safety and passenger comfort that vehicles were placed in a way that created even weight distribution across the deck.

Executive director of operations Captain Fran Collins said a small part of the forward area of Condor Liberation's vehicle deck was open – something which was a common feature of modern high-speed ferries.

'Commodore Clipper also has open deck space which is used to carry vehicles on a daily basis,' she said. 'While Condor Liberation's bow is designed to push water away and minimise sea spray into the deck, in certain conditions some spray may enter the deck area.'