A contract to clear the inner harbours at Douglas and Peel of silt has been heavily delayed.

It was due to be finished a few days' time but, after hitting a problem in the outer harbour at Douglas, the firm from Ireland which has been contracted to do the work, will now take considerably longer than anticipated.

Spokesman for the Department of Infrastructure Colin Finney says the two contracts were given to the same company in order to make things easier, and the tender it submitted was a third of the sum quoted by the highest bidders: