The Viking has been involved in an incident in the River Mersey.

The fast craft was leaving Liverpool this lunchtime when it's believed a gust of wind caused it to hit the pontoon for passenger vehicles.

This caused a tear in the boat's side, 2 metres above the water line.

The Master carried out a full inspection of the damaged area and decided that, in the interests of safety, the vessel cannot sail until the damage has been properly repaired.

No one was injured and passengers were disembarked safely.

The Steam Packet says it's now making urgent arrangements to repair the Viking and to reschedule sailings over the weekend.

Further updates regarding revised timetables will be released in due course.