Ferry carrying 300 people runs aground in Calais harbour forcing the port to close

Tugboats manoeuvre the P&O ferry Pride of Kent after it ran aground during bad weather (REUTERS)

A passenger ferry ran aground forcing the Port of Calais in France to close.

The ferry, which was carrying 316 people, steered off course due to stormy weather.

P&O Ferries' The Pride of Kent was bound for Dover and is believed to have hit a gangway while manoeuvring to leave the port after being hit by a large gust of wind.

"The ship was pushed to the other side of the port," a company spokeswoman told AFP.

No one was injured on the P&O ferry which was carrying 208 passengers and the boat has since been refloated.

"We can confirm that one of our ships ran aground whilst leaving the Port of Calais this afternoon,” a P&O spokesman said.

"There are no reported injuries, the ship was refloated within two hours and we hope to transfer our passengers to an alternative ship as soon as possible."

However, the port was subsequently shut allowing no further boats to leave Calais and significantly disrupting cross-channel traffic.

P&O Ferries Updates posted on Twitter: “The Port of Calais is currently closed due to extreme weather. Please check in as per your original sailing time and you will be accommodated on the first available sailing."

The channel was hit with 68 mph winds on Sunday due to Storm Ana.