The largest ferry on the Channel will start its regular services to Calais after successfully completing berthing trials.

Côte d’Opale, DFDS' newest cross-Channel ship, carried out the trials at Dover.

Jesper Christensen, DFDS operations director, for the Channel, said: "Berthing trials went well and gave us the expected result.

"Dover Harbour Board was very happy with the vessel’s performance so all is proceeding according to plan.

"We will have a further trial just before our maiden voyage scheduled for August 4."

The Côte d’Opale arrives as the ferry industry revives following the pandemic lockdowns.

It is designed to be highly efficient and environmentally friendly with an expected reduction in fuel consumption of around 25% compared to the current fleet. It also has two engines instead of four.

The Côte d’Opale is 214 metres (702ft), making it the largest ferry on the English Channel.

It can carry 3,100 lane metres (10,171ft) of freight and 1,000 passengers.

The vessel replaces Calais Seaways, which is currently operating on the Dover to Calais route alongside Côte des Flandres and Côte des Dunes.

The new ship ,which has a service speed of 20 to 22 knots, has been named after the French coastal region that borders Belgium, known as the Cornwall of the Continent.

The Côte d’Opale was ordered by DFDS in April 2018, chartered from Stena RoRo, and was built at the Avic Weihai shipyard in China.

DFDS will operate the ship for an initial 10 years with an option to buy it after that.

The giant ferry has the largest duty free shop on the Channel at 1,100 sq m (11,840 sq ft) and has separate wings for each product category.

Read more: All the latest news from Dover