A FERRY line which operates from Harwich Port has confirmed passengers can travel again, subject to conditions.

Stena Line has announced it is permitted to carry passengers again on its route from Harwich to Hook of Holland, following an announcement from the Government of The Netherlands.

However, passengers will only be permitted to travel from the UK to The Netherlands if they can provide proof of a negative result from a PCR Covid-19 test, that must have been undertaken within the last 72 hours before their arrival time in the Hook of Holland.

Passengers from outside the EU or UK, will also need to complete a Negative Test Declaration Covid-19 to gain access to The Netherlands.

The first ferry permitted to carry travel passengers was last night at 11pm sailing from Harwich.

But due to "extremely high freight volumes" on the routes to Holland, the departure only had capacity for foot passengers.

A spokesman from Stena Line said: "Stena Line will first be contacting those passengers that had previously booked to sail with the company and subsequently had their travel cancelled due to the travel restrictions, which came into force Sunday. Proof of the negative result from the PCR test and, if applicable, the completed Negative Test Declaration Covid-19 form, will be required at check-in.

"Otherwise passengers will not be allowed to board.

"The company welcomes this development and will do anything it can to assist its customers to travel from Harwich to the Hoof of Holland in line with the new guidelines."

Earlier this week, the ferry line had to ban all of its passengers from travelling to Holland due to measures imposed by the Government of the Netherlands which set restrictions on passenger travel from the UK.

The restrictions came after the Netherlands joined a list of European countries to place a travel ban on the UK due to a new, more contagious, strain of coronavirus, which is believed to have mutated in the South East of England.