THE NEW Dover to Boulogne fast ferry service which was due to start this week will not open until later in the summer.

When SpeedFerries announced its venture in February it indicated the service would start on the first May bank holiday weekend.

Speaking from SpeedFerries Danish base, spokeswoman Marianne Illum said there were no doubts that the service would go ahead this summer. She said: "I believe we will have a definite date within the next 14 days."

The company's website, www.speedferries.com, is not yet taking bookings and has just one page of basic information on the route.

"We hope to be opening that very soon as well," said Ms Illum. "We are keeping customers' travel requests on file and will get back to them as soon as fares are finalised."

Although the ferry will use existing Norfolk Line berths in Dover, the port in Boulogne has needed a great deal of work to get it ready to operate after two years closure since Hoverspeed stopped its service from Folkestone.

Nick Stevens, spokesman for the Port of Boulogne, said: "There has been an enormous amount of work to do technically, structurally and in fact in all areas of the business in order to start the service, and of course this work continues."

The new high-tech craft will make the journey from Dover to Boulogne in just 50 minutes making it the fastest route to France. Boulogne is also about 30 minutes closer to Paris by car than Calais.

Boulogne is also a popular destination for daytrippers because of its historic city, selection of shops and tourist attractions such as sea life centre Nausicaa.

SpeedFerries will be the fifth ferry operator operating from the Port of Dover.