Major ferry chain slashes services – 20 jobs to be axed

Up to 20 people could lose their jobs as a major ferry operator scales back its operations. Brittany Ferries has confirmed it will cut its popular route between Poole, Dorset, and Cherbourg in France this autumn and sell two of its ships.

The firm said it was axing the route in response to rising taxes, weaker demand, Covid loan repayments and growing competition, which have saddled it with a bill of €27million (£23million) for 2026.

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A service between Cherbourg and Portsmouth will be launched in its place. A port worker based in Poole said up to 20 jobs could be culled in the shift, including between 10 and 12 in their stevedore department.

The worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the Bournemouth Echo: "It's a well-established route which has been running for 36-plus years and it's causing devastation, really, to both sides of the Channel."

"We're expecting to take quite a kicking because we are the actual department that deals with the ship," he added. "There are worried peple down there. There are youngsters that are losing their jobs.

"They don't know it yet, but there's going to have to be compulsory redundancy."

Christhophe Mathieu, CEO for Brittany Ferries, said: "We need to adapt and that means a plan to secure a future that will continue to bring opportunities for all those who live and work in the regions we serve."

He added that the company had "a track record in adapting to long and short term challenges" but had to be "realistic".

Nigel Wonnacott, spokesperson for the firm, previously told the BBC there would be "no staff redundancies".

The Express has contacted the Poole Harbour Commissioners for comment.