A FIRE on board a Condor Ferries vessel in Weymouth Harbour this afternoon sparked a major alert.

Crewmembers rushed to extinguish the blaze, which flared up after a fuel pump failed on a classic car parked on the car deck. Fuel sprayed onto the deck and was ignited.

The Condor Vitesse had just arrived from the Channel Islands and was alongside at Weymouth when the fire started.

No damage was caused to surrounding cars or to the boat, with all passengers and cars on board able to leave the boat safely.

A spokesman for Condor Ferries said: “We are pleased to report an excellent response this afternoon from the highly-trained crew of Condor Vitesse, as they promptly extinguished a small fire on the car deck.

“The fire had been caused by a fuel pump failure on a classic car, resulting in some fuel spray on the car deck, which had ignited. The ferry was alongside Weymouth harbour at the time.

“The swift actions from the Master and crew meant there were no injuries to guests or crew and no damage to property. Cars and guests were able to disembark safely - and without delay - from the ferry.”

It is believed that the ferry will still be able to sail as normal tomorrow.