A Century-old foot ferry which was saved from closure five years ago partially sank and suffered "signficant damage" as high winds battered Harwich.

Amid strong winds yesterday evening, Harwich Foot Ferry came away from its moorings.

A spokesman for the Harwich Haven Authority said it was too dangerous to attempt a recovery of the ferry until the weather calmed.

They said: "The Harwich Foot Ferry is owned by a private operator and operates between Harwich, Shotley and Landguard, Felixstowe.

"It is berthed on the Ha’penny Pier pontoons, which is owned and managed by the Harwich Haven Authority.

"Yesterday we experienced severe weather conditions in the area.

"We monitored the weather conditions and liaised closely with the owner of the ferry throughout the day.

"The severity of the weather meant that we were not able to recover the ferry by sea, or secure her lines from the pontoons.

"It was too dangerous."

After footage showed the ferry partially submerged in the water, the authority attempted a rescue this morning at around 8am.

The spokesman added: "Harwich Haven Authority’s marine support crew were able to safely tow the ferry to a safter mooring within our vessel pound.

"We can confirm that the ferry has sustained significant damage."

The ferry connects Harwich, Shotley and Felixstowe, and was taken over by Christian and Lucy Zemann in 2015.

The couple took on the ferry after hearing it was on the verge of closing down.

The yellow ferry dates back to 1912.