Cross-Channel ferry company LD Lines has made a bid to take over SeaFrance.

It follows news that SeaFrance planned to make 650 people redundant and cut the number of ships in its fleet from five to three.

LD Lines' managing director Christophe Santoni said he was very serious in his plan to take over SeaFrance and help save "hundreds of jobs".

LD Lines introduced new ferry services from Dover to Boulogne and Dieppe earlier this month.

A spokesman for SeaFrance said: "In view of the bid we're not able to comment at this time and we await reaction from the SNCF."

M Santoni has said he would keep the SeaFrance name and use some of the ships on the Boulogne route.

"We have forwarded an offer to SeaFrance shareholders and we are awaiting for their response to the bid.

"We have put forward our project because we think we have a good project by merging the two companies, preserving jobs and we hope they will see it makes sense and will accept it.

"The whole project is based on the assumption that today's market conditions demand that all companies are thinking about revising their way of working and improving efficiencies. We have a lot to gain by joining forces. We have a very complementary network.

"LD Lines is developing new services requiring additional tonnage and SeaFrance is overtonnaged. So there is a big match there. It all makes sense and I wish everyone will consider the two companies are better off together than apart."

M Santoni would not go into any financial details of the offer, saying it was a private matter.

While it would not be possible to save all 650 SeaFrance jobs currently under threat, he said "several hundred" would be saved - "a considerable amount".