THE liner RMS St Helena will renew its links with Portland Port with two visits during the next year, it was announced today.

The cargo-passenger ship from the South Atlantic island of St Helena docked at Portland seven times between 2002 and 2004, and was worth hundreds of thousands of pounds to the local economy.

But last year it was believed the liner had sailed from the Dorset port for the last time when its route was switched to South Africa on a year's trial.

Now operator Andrew Weir Shipping says the vessel will return to Portland this September and next spring to pick up supplies and passengers.

Islanders have welcomed the decision, which is understood to have been made on commercial grounds,

The Reverend David Botterill, vicar of St John's Church and Missions to Seafarers Chaplain on Portland, said: "We are thrilled that the St Helena is coming back and we look forward to renewing our contacts with the islanders.

"Following an initiative by Councillor Ian Phelps - one of our church wardens and mayor at the time that the service first started - Portland churches have been sending books to St Helena Social Services for distribution on the island for the past three years.

"With the help of Andrew Weir, we have now despatched nearly a tonne of them to the South Atlantic.

"We have much enjoyed meeting St Helenians living in this country and we hope that the welcome return of RMS St Helena will further strengthen links between the two island communities."

Portland Port's commercial and operations manager John Healy said he was delighted at the move and is looking forward to working with St Helena's captain, crew and operating company.

He said: "RMS St Helena is good for us and for Dorset and we are determined to provide a service that is good for the ship and good for St Helena and islands of the South Atlantic.

"We are also pleased to see that St Helena Lines are founding members of the Niche Cruise Alliance, for which Portland, with its Britannia Passenger Terminal and access to the World Heritage Coast, exceptionally beautiful countryside and historic centres like Stonehenge and Bath, is particularly well suited."