UNCERTAINTY surrounds the future of an award-winning attempt to persuade people to explore the New Forest in a fleet of electric cars.

In a shock move at the height of the tourist season, a business launched less than a year ago has stopped taking bookings for its battery-operated vehicles.

It follows the failure of an earlier bid to revolutionise the way holidaymakers travel around the district.

Hire A Twizy unveiled its "funky" two-seaters in the Forest last November and later launched a similar venture on the Isle of Wight - but the bookings page has now been removed from its website.

The Daily Echo attempted to contact the company but calls were not returned.

Last night organisations on both sides of the Solent voiced their surprise and dismay at the apparent demise of the eco-friendly service.

David Thornton, chief executive of Visit Isle of Wight, said: “We were as disappointed as anyone when we heard that the website had apparently stopped taking bookings.

"Given how popular the scheme has been here we hope someone can find a way to start it up again."

The New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) is also seeking answers.

Mark Holroyd, the NPA's transport and tourism manager, said: "We are actively seeking clarification on the current status of the business and will consider all available options."

The Isle of Wight service was launched with the aid of a £36,000 grant the local council had obtained from the Department of Transport.

A council spokesman said the authority was seeking to "establish the status" of the Twizy operation.

The multi-coloured cars made their debut in the New Forest in 2013 but were later withdrawn from service.

Hire a Twizy bought the battery-operated vehicles from the previous operator and unveiled its plans in a fanfare of publicity at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, nine months ago.

The Lymington-based venture was subsequently among the winners at the New Forest Brilliance in Business Award 2015/16.

Speaking at the launch last year, Chris Beach, owner of Hire A Twizy, said: "The idea is to get people out of their cars and into a sustainable form of transport.

"We're going to roll-out another 20 charging points not only for Twizys but for electric cars as a whole. When you use a Twizy you will never be more than two or three miles from a charging point."