LEADING Windermere boat sales company Shepherds Marine have confirmed the boat repair arm of the business has now been discontinued.

The company’s managing director Jason Dearden told The Westmorland Gazette the move had been planned for some time.

He explained that following the decision to curtail that area of the business, no more boats had been taken in for repair but the operation had been continued until all existing repair work had been completed.

Mr Dearden confirmed that a small number of staff had been affected by the move but the issue had been dealt with under standard employment guidelines.

He stressed that the rest of the business, which is situated at The Windermere Marina Village at Bowness, was unaffected and would continue to operate as normal.

Shepherds Marine have been a major presence at Windermere for many years and the company’s core business involves the sale of new and used boats.