STENA Line has reported record annual passenger numbers on its Harwich to Hook of Holland route.

The ferry operator recorded a nine per cent increase in passengers on 2012 with 568,000 people travelling on the route.

Around 123,000 cars also used the route seeing an 11 per cent increase on last year.

The company’s Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannic super-ferries have operated the twice-daily six-hour service since 2010.