A MULTI-purpose £24 million ferry has been commissioned to run between Heysham Port and the Isle of Man. A combined freight and passenger vessel is expected to take to the waves in July 1988 along with plans to introduce a Seacat catamaran. The investment coincides with a £200,000 refurbishment of Heysham Port passenger terminal which was officially opened this week.

The new commission by the owners of Heysham Port, Sea Containers, is part of their programme to replace old vessels after they took over the Steam Packet Company in 1996. The new ship will replace two existing Steam Packet vessels - the King Orry and Peveril. A spokesman for Sea Containers said: "Heysham Port is today one of the most important ports on the west coast of England for trailer and passenger traffic. In 1996 a total of 205,000 trailers and 284,000 passengers moved through the port."

The refurbishment of the passenger terminal is also expected to improve the status of the port. It will include mother and baby room facilities, toilets for the disabled and restaurant.

The Mayor of Lancaster, Cllr Janet Horner, joined the deputy Mayor of Douglas Cllr George Chatel, for the opening ceremony.

She said: "I'm glad to see a marvellous improvement in the terminal which will benefit all passengers. I hope there'll be even more modernisation during the next few years. I'm certainly looking forward to the new ship that's been commissioned and I was delighted to meet the deputy Mayor of Douglas. I hope from this we can do more linking up of tourism between Douglas and Morecambe."

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