Quadriplegic sailor Hilary Lister has been forced to delay the start of her journey around Britain for safety reasons.

The 35-year-old from Dunkirk was due to set sail from Dover today but the start has been put back by one week.

She is now scheduled to leave on Monday, June 16.

"The team has encountered a number of technical issues with the electronic control systems on Hilary’s boat and whilst these have been resolved, there has been insufficient time for the modifications to be fully tested at sea," said project manager Toby May.

“We always knew we would be pushing the boundaries of the technical capabilities of the Artemis 20 and its electronic control systems and that we would be faced with various technical issues on such a long journey.

"Although we believe we have now sorted out most of the problems, due to the time this has taken, and certain other issues, we have not been enable to spend as much time on the water as we need to fully test that everything is working OK."

Hilary steers her boat using a unique sip and puff technique.

Project director Tony Leppard said: “A project of this nature is, unfortunately, prone to last minute changes of plan due to prevailing conditions - weather, health considerations, or other circumstances.

"We have made every effort to ensure that our planning and preparation has been as thorough as possible but we ultimately have to make decisions in light of our paramount consideration – the safety of Hilary and the crew.”