Norfolkline admits booking mistake

Norfolkline has admitted it made a mistake after it sold a lorry driver's pre-booked ferry cabin in order to capitalise on airline passengers left stranded after flights were cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud.

Virginia Transport driver Luke Vernon was told there were only sleeper seats left for him when he arrived at the port in Dublin for his journey to Birkenhead with Norfolkline - despite his firm pre-booking him a bed and cabin for the route.

Vernon says: "There were no flights that day out of Ireland. It was rammed with car, foot and freight passengers and so they just sold the cabins.

"You just want to get something to eat and go to bed," he adds.

"I had no access to anything, no showers; that's what you want when you get on the boat. I couldn't believe it when I was told. Normally you would have a rant but I was speechless. They all seemed a little bit sheepish."

The Road Haulage Association's regional director Steve Biddle says ferry companies have made a lot of money out of flights that have been grounded due to volcanic ash.

He adds: "It concerns us that someone has an arrangement where they have a cabin, and just because this sort of thing has happened, they suddenly lose it."

Norfolkline route director Poul Woodall says it will contact Vernon and his company and apologise for what happened.

He tells CM: "I put my hands up and say we made a mistake. We messed it up. We found out something has gone wrong and now we can do something about it. It is definitely not the way we do business."