A HIGH Court action due to start in London on Monday could see the end of controversial new ferries on Wightlink’s Lymington to Yarmouth Solent crossing.

Lymington River Association launched legal action in February shortly after the first of the three new multi-million-pound craft appeared in the Lymington River estuary.

They claimed the Croatian-built boats would cause environmental damage and pose a risk to smaller craft because of their increased size and power. Wightlink vehemently denied the allegations.

Since they entered service, the ferries have been dogged by hold-ups described as “teething problems”.

They include running aground at low tide, loading difficulties, a jammed garage deck and failing a “man overboard” test.

The High Court hearing is expected to last two days.

Lymington River Association chairman Marcus Malanathy said: “We will be pleased if it goes the right way. We’ve just seen so much damage in the river at the moment.”

He said the current ferries are twice the size of those they replaced, displace more water and are more powerful, and he claimed they are damaging the marshland banks, which are collapsing.

“What we would like to see are sustainable ferries that do not damage the river and its environment,” he said.

He claimed the craft previously used on the Lymington to Yarmouth route are currently laid up in Husband’s shipyard on the western bank of Southampton Water at Marchwood.

He claimed he had paperwork to show they are seaworthy until 2023. “All they require is an ‘MoT certificate’ from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency,” he asserted.

Wightlink said it had nothing to add to previous statements. Earlier this year it said: “We don’t believe the ferries are damaging the environment and are confident there won’t be a case to answer.”