Traders happy Ben my Chree repairs will go ahead next week

Traders are welcoming news that repairs to the Ben my Chree are being brought forward.

The recent sailing cancellations have left shelves bare in several shops and caused inconvenience to a number of local businesses.

The problems have been caused by bad weather coupled with a fault with one of the ferry's bow thrusters, which makes it more difficult to manoeuvre.

The company has put pressure on the manufacturer of the unit and repairs are due to be carried out next week.

It had been thought the work couldn't be done until April.

Shoprite bosses say they welcome the news that urgent steps are being taken to address the issue.

Although the supermarket has on-Island warehouses, there has been a shortage of some goods and the company says it's looking forward to getting back to business as usual.