A recovery plan has been finalised for cost cuts at the cross-Channel ferry company SeaFrance.

The fleet, which sails from Dover to Calais, will be reduced from seven to three ships and 550 jobs will go in France.

SeaFrance is owned by the French national rail company SNCF and in May it was announced that the company was in financial difficulties.

A spokeswoman for the ferry business said: "The overseeing board consisting of SNCF, SeaFrance management and staff representatives met to discuss the timetable for the implementation of the company’s recovery plan.

"It was recognised that the deadline for this would be the end of September.

"The recovery plan is based on a three-ship fleet plus the utilisation of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais freight-only ship on a limited basis until the end of the year, based on the business forecast."