SEAFRANCE is to claim millions of pounds in compensation from Calais for delays caused by the closure of a faulty berth.

Calais Chamber of Commerce, which runs the port of Calais, and the French authorities could face a huge bill for the problem that has shut the berth for weeks.

The cables holding the ramp that connects ship to shore snapped during unloading of the P&O ferry Pride of Burgundy. Two trucks plunged several feet into water. The drivers escaped unharmed but the incident triggered a high-level inquiry.

Investigators have yet to report their findings but they could inflict further damage on the port’s reputation.

SeaFrance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of French railway operator SNCF, has been protected from some of the worst consequences of the berth closure because its smaller ships have been allowed exclusive access to number three berth.

But with only a single berth for all the big ships on the Dover-Calais route, there have been delays and cancellations.

SeaFrance is about to unveil its newest superferry the £70m French-built Berlioz and company chiefs hope the berth to be back in action before its expected launch, a little later than expected, in early April.

Robin Wilkins, managing director, said: "We have been hugely financially damaged and we will be seeking recompense from the Calais Chamber of Commerce, their insurers and the state. We estimate that so far we’ve lost in excess of 10m euro."

He expected the eventual SeaFrance claim to be substantially higher and hoped the French state would "recognise its responsibilities". Other operators are likely to claim even bigger sums.

Mr Wilkins said the incident had damaged the reputation of the cross-Channel ferry industry and it was essential for France to spend money on rebuilding it through effective marketing and good public relations.

The collapse of the ramp also raised questions over the quality of the port’s maintenance programme, he said.

"Our understanding is that there had been routine maintenance on this berth but it failed to identify a weakness. I’ve never known anything like this to happen before. Something was radically wrong."

He admired French engineering in general. "But they goofed here," he said.

Meanwhile, SeaFrance has responded to fierce fare-cutting by fast craft rival SpeedFerries by launching a £25 one-way fare for car and passengers.

SpeedFerries has kept up the pressure on bigger cross-Channel competitors by announcing a £7.50 fare on its Dover-Boulogne service.

Mr Wilkins said the smaller rival was an interesting operation but was doing "an enormous amount of damage to the profitability and financial performance of existing operators."

Last year, SeaFrance made an operational loss but interest from its substantial reserves and other revenue streams put the company into the black.