P&O Ferries, which is part of the Dubai based DP World group, has dismissed 800 British seafarers with immediate effect, the company said in a statement.

It intends to replace them with cheaper crew supplied by agencies, media reports say.

“However, in its current state, P&O Ferries is not a viable business. We have made a £100m loss year on year, which has been covered by our parent DP World. This is not sustainable. Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries,” the company said. 

The company operates services between Dover and Calais, Hull and Rotterdam, Liverpool and Dublin plus Cairnryan and Larne.

“In making this tough decision, we are securing the future viability of our business which employs an additional 2,200 people and supports billions in trade in and out of the UK. And we are ensuring that we can continue serving our customers in a way that they have demanded from us for many years,” P&O Ferries said.