Less than a week after it was launched, the Tilbury Ferry service has left Gravesend’s new £2.5m Town Pier pontoon.

The move has led to a bitter row over the future of the service, with crew members saying it is dangerous and KCC threatening to pull the contract.

Crew members say the lighting on the pontoon is inadequate and that is why operators G&T Ferry have gone back to the West Street Pier, where it has run the foot passenger service for many years.

John Potter, owner of G&T Ferry, which runs the service under contract from KCC and Gravesham and Thurrock councils, was unavailable as we went to press.

The crew men, who refused to give their names, said visiting boats also had priority to use the deeper water moorings.

One said the pier was too small and added: "There is inadequate light in the early mornings. You can hardly see the stage.

"We are waiting for the council to put in new strip lighting. We just have to wait – we are just like mushrooms. They should blow it up and start again, getting someone in who has half an idea of what they are doing."

Another said: "It’s a health and safety issue. They need strip lights to see the passengers when we come alongside, but we can’t see anything, just a dark shadow."

He said there had been various problems since they first used the pontoon last week.

"We have also been told that Balmoral, Cambria and Waverley [historic commercial vessels] take priority when they turn up.

"We have to vacate our side and use the inside moorings or come back to West Street. That’s what I have been told, and that’s what we’ve done," he said.

Cllr Bryan Sweetland, transport portfolio holder at KCC, said it should not be difficult for Mr Potter to put a floodlight on his two ferries.

"There are no safety issues," he added. "If they want to do it there’s a way to do it."

Gravesham council said the pontoon met all the regulated standards, including lighting, which was set by the Port of London Authority [PLA].

"The pontoon deck is illuminated by lights inside the outer handrail, which was approved by the PLA," said a spokesman.

"The skipper should produce an assessment prior to operations on a pontoon.

"If he considered additional lighting was required… it is normal for him to provide this by means of a floodlight mounted on his vessel which is turned on as it approaches the pontoon."

The spokesman added: "It is not correct to say there is insufficient water at low tide for the ferry to use the inside edge."