Fast cats

SWANSEA is bracing itself for a tourist bonanza thanks to a new high-speed ferry service linking the city with the South West of England.

Thousand of visitors are expected to make the trip every month from Ilfracombe to Swansea on two Flying Cat ferries, which will zoom across the Bristol Channel from next spring.

The crossing will take 50 minutes and cost around £22, with both vessels able to carry 360 foot passengers.

Business leaders on both sides of the channel hope the new service will deliver a much-needed shot in the arm.

The announcement follows confirmation that the Swansea-Cork ferry will resume sailing next March.

Swansea Docks are also in contention for a £20 million cruise liner refit, with a decision expected today or tomorrow.

Chris Marrow, the man behind the new Severn Link service, said he was confident of a huge demand for the Swansea-Devon route, which is expected to create around 50 jobs.

He said: "To my knowledge, there is no other comparable stretch of water in the world, linking similarly populated areas, which doesn't have a heavily utilised ferry service."

Mr Marrow, who has developed ferry services overseas, said the new link should boost the domestic holiday market, with greater scope for short breaks and day trips.

He added: "In addition I hope that Severn Link will become instrumental in helping to sustain the historic connections between the Celtic nations of Wales and Cornwall."

Swansea Council leader Chris Holley said: "A fast catamaran service from Swansea to Ilfracombe would be a boost for the city's tourism economy and would allow Swansea people easier access to the South West of England."

Severn Link chiefs said funding had come from a number of sources, but declined to say how much the venture has cost.

Although each boat can carry 360 people, they said the service was still assured with fewer passengers in the early stages.

They estimate running two return trips a day, with as many as five at peak times.

Plans to introduce other ferry links in South Wales and the South West of England will be announced in due course.

And they said they intended eventually to upgrade the Swansea-Ilfracombe link with a car ferry, but only if infrastructure work was carried out on the Devon side.

Councillor Holley added that the council would be talking to bus companies about providing transport from the port to the city centre, and that separate discussions about upgrading the port's facilities were underway.

Swansea West AM Andrew Davies was delighted about the new link.

"I wish it every success," he said.