A pontoon used for cruise ships visiting Fishguard Harbour has sunk for the second time in a month, this time along with a pilot boat.

The pontoon first sank on August 3, after becoming damaged in the low tide. Expert divers recovered the structure and safety checks were carried out.

However, the pontoon, along with a pilot boat, sank again in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Western Telegraph understands that the pilot boat was recovered by crane on Monday and the pontoon yesterday (Tuesday).

A spokesman for Stena Line, which runs the port at Fishguard, said that nobody was hurt during the sinking and all ferry services ran as normal.

“We can confirm that there was an incident involving a pontoon and a pilot boat in the early hours of Saturday August 31 in the Port of Fishguard,” said the spokesman.

“Emergency and clean-up procedures were activated immediately to ensure that any risk to the environment was kept to a minimum.

“No one was hurt as a result of the incident and all ferry services from Fishguard continued to operate as normal.

“The pilot boat has been successfully recovered and is now ashore and being inspected as part of a thorough investigation into the incident.”

The cause of the sinking is not yet known but it is hoped it will be established during the investigation.

The next cruise ship due in at Fishguard is the Dumont D’Urville on September 10.