THE cause of a serious fire which put the Windermere ferry out of action for five months has been revealed.

The Bank Holiday blaze was sparked when a hydraulic hose burst in the engine room resulting in fluid being sprayed on a hot engine, a report to go before councillors next week has said.

More than 80 passengers and crew had to be evacuated from the vessel over the early Spring Bank Holiday on Sunday, May 27.

The ferry, run by Cumbria County Council, did not sail again until Saturday, October 27 - leading to a £320,000 hit to the authority's finances.

The Mallard can ferry up to 100 passengers and 18 vehicles between Ferry Nab, Bowness and Far Sawrey, Hawkshead.

The service helps tourists and commuters avoid a massive diversion on narrow roads around England’s longest lake, but missed out on one of the hottest summer in the Lake District in years.

A report to go before South Lakeland Local Committee on Monday (19th November) has revealed that the repair bill was also £100,000.

Experts recommended that a new engine be bought rather than replacing the existing five-year-old engine.

The majority of that bill is expected to be claimed back on insurance.

The report states that the council had regularly maintained the vessel.

A separate investigation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which implements British maritime law and safety policy, has also confirmed this, the report said.

The county council reviewed the vessel's service and maintenance records as part of its own health and safety investigation.

The report said: “All required maintenance had been undertaken. The maintenance records for January- May 2018 were also provided to the MCA as part of their investigation.

"No issues were identified to the county council by the MCA in relation to these maintenance records."

The council said it had now put in place a number of measures to prevent it ever happening again.

It said: “At the same time that the repair and maintenance work has been undertaken the opportunity has also been taken to make improvements."

These include installation of CCTV in the engine room to enable visual surveillance.

There are also "increased physical checks" to the engine room and the ferry's operating manual has also been fully updated.

The council has rolled out a new staffing structure with a higher qualification level with some roles specifically tailored to safety and operations of the boat.

In addition, extensive safety and operational training has taken place to ensure all staff are fully trained in emergency procedures, rescue and fire procedures, the report said.