DIVERS have now recovered a section of gangway that collapsed into the sea this morning at Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight.

Ferry operators Wightlink confirmed that the incident happened just before 8am today.

No one was on it at the time and no one was injured as a result of the gangway falling into the sea.

Wightlink said an investigation is now underway into what caused the collapse of the gangway which is operated remotely.

Engineers have been at the scene today while divers have recovered what was described as a "small section" of the gangway which fell into the sea.

A spokesman said: “We have now completed our initial investigations and can confirm that engineers are on site and divers have recovered a small section of the retractable gangway which became disconnected."

Passengers experienced some delays this morning while the pier head was closed but this afternoon sailings from Ryde to Portsmouth were unaffected.

However, an alternative berth was being used for other services while alternative arrangements were being made for disabled passengers.

The spokesman added: "For now we are using a different berth for the Wight Ryders and there are no delays on our Ryde Pier Head to Portsmouth Harbour route.

"Regrettably, there is currently no access for disabled passengers or persons with reduced mobility. "Therefore, we ask that they make their way directly to Fishbourne where they will be transferred to the next car ferry sailing.

"We apologise to passengers for the inconvenience and would like to reassure our customers that we continue to prioritise the safety of our passengers, ships and crew."