A FERRY company is about to advertise 500 jobs for a new passenger service from Dover to Calais and Boulogne. A formal announcement is expected next week.

Navmed Limited has been formed by former Hoverspeed employees and is renting offices at Folkestone Harbour from Roger De Haan.

It is launching a new passenger ferry service from Dover in May and hopes to reinstate Folkestone’s link with Boulogne - probably in 2007 - once Folkestone Harbour has been redeveloped.

They will use three ships from Dover, and may also look to run a service to Ostend, possibly next year.

Jeff Richards, of Navmed, said: "We set up offices in Folkestone because we couldn’t find any suitable in Dover.

"We will run services from Dover to Calais and Boulogne and hope to start in May. We are looking at Folkestone, but there is a huge amount of work which needs to be done to the port.

"A summer service from Folkestone would seem to be very attractive to people."

Navmed is about to advertise around 500 jobs for the Dover operation, but it is understood that not all of them will be recruited from the UK.

Mr De Haan is due to unveil his masterplan for the Folkestone Harbour area to members of Shepway District Council on Monday. The plans have been drawn up by architect Sir Norman Foster.