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Ferry operator DFDS has axed its freight service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge in Belgium following a fire on one of its ships.

The vessel is out of action following the blaze in an engine room and the ferry company said it had been unable to find a suitable replacement.

It was a loss-making route for DFDS and it said it had now "lost all hope" of reversing its fortunes.

The firm said it had "no alternative" but to close the route.

The Scottish government said Humza Yousaf, the transport secretary, would seek to hold urgent discussions with the company following the announcement.

A spokesman added that the minister wanted to fully understand the situation and "explore all options for the route".

DFDS said the fire broke out on its ro-ro freight ship Finlandia Seaways on 16 April.

One crew member was injured in the blaze. He was airlifted to hospital where he is being treated for injuries caused by smoke inhalation.

The ship was towed to Immingham, Lincolnshire, where the cargo was removed and an inspection was carried out.

In a statement Kell Robdrup, of DFDS, said: "The inspection revealed substantial damage to the ship's engine room, and we estimate that it will be out of service for several months for repairs.

"Furthermore, our search for a replacement vessel was fruitless and revealed that there are no suitable ships available.

"Unfortunately, this will bring about further losses on the route, and it means that we have lost all hope of being able to turn around the route's loss-making situation.

"Therefore, we have no alternative but to close the route as we undoubtedly will lose clients who will be forced to seek alternative solutions for their transport."

'Reopening unrealistic'

He said DFDS was "extremely sorry" for the effect the decision would have in Scotland and Belgium.

The closure would affect a "very limited number of people" employed by the ferry company, he added.

"In cooperation with the Scottish government and the port, we have tried everything in our power to save the route," he said.

"This included going from a combined passenger and cargo ship to a freight ship, reducing costs by enabling double stacking of containers and reducing fuel costs by installing a scrubber to remove sulphur from the exhaust gas instead of using expensive, low-sulphur fuel.

"However, the route continued to make losses. And with the new situation with the ship out of service for months, the market, the customers and the financial situation will be negatively affected, and make a turnaround and a reopening unrealistic."

The freight service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge has been operating since 2002.

Charles Hammond, group chief executive of Forth Ports, which operates the Port of Rosyth, said they were "very disappointed" by the closure.

He added: "Scotland remains well connected with continental Europe through the range of multimodal services operating from the Port of Grangemouth.

"Grangemouth is Scotland's largest container terminal and provides connectivity to locations in the UK, mainland Europe and the rest of the world through its feeder network. We will work hard to ensure that as many affected customers as possible can be accommodated from Grangemouth.

"The Port of Rosyth is among Scotland's best connected ports, with a range of opportunities currently being explored for the port as a whole."</s>The freight ferry service from the port of Rosyth to Zeebrugge in Belgium has been closed after its operators said they had “lost all hope” of being able turn around the lossmaking route.

The demise of the crossing, which has been a freight-only service for the past eight years, was hastened by a fire which broke out onboard the Finlandia Seaways freight ship last week.

The blaze, which left one crew member injured, put the vessel out of operation for several months.

In the wake of the incident, DFDS Seaways, one of Europe’s largest shipping and logistics firms, said it had decided to end the service altogether.

In what represents a blow for Scottish trade at a time when uncertainty surrounding Brexit remains rife, the firm’s senior president, Kell Robdrup, said it had been left with no alternative.

“We are extremely sorry for the effect this has on our customers and partners in Scotland and Belgium,” he said.

“In cooperation with the Scottish Government and the port, we have tried everything in our power to save the route.

“This included going from a combined passenger and cargo ship to a freight ship, reducing costs by enabling double stacking of containers and reducing fuel costs by installing a scrubber to remove sulphur from the exhaust gas instead of using expensive, low-sulphur fuel.

“However, the route continued to make losses. And with the new situation with the ship out of service for months, the market, the customers and the financial situation will be negatively affected, and make a turnaround and a reopening unrealistic.”

The collapse of the route brings to an end its 16 year long history. It began operating as a combined freight and passenger ferry service in 2002, only to be reduced to a freight-only crossing in 2010 after DFDS cited insufficient passenger demand.

The timetable for the service’s full closure was quickened by last Monday’s fire in the engine room of the Finlandia Seaways ro-ro ship.

The injured crew member was airlifted to hospital where he is being treated for injuries caused by smoke inhalation.

A subsequent inspection identified “substantial damage” to the vessel, with Mr Robdrup stating it would be out of service for “several months” for repair work.

He added: “Our search for a replacement vessel was fruitless and revealed that there are no suitable ships available.

“Unfortunately, this will bring about further losses on the route, and it means that we have lost all hope of being able to turn around the route’s loss-making situation.

Charles Hammond, group chief executive of Forth Ports, which owns and operates the port at Rosyth, said: “We are of course very disappointed that DFDS has closed the Rosyth to Zeebrugge freight ferry service.

“The service has a long history at Rosyth, operating since 2002, but has faced a number of challenges over the years.”

He stressed Scotland remained “well connected” with continental Europe via Grangemouth, the nation’s largest container terminal, and said it would “work hard” to ensure as many customers as possible could be accommodated via Grangemouth.

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Ferry operator DFDS has discontinued their Rosyth – Zeebrugge ferry service. DFDS says it is no longer profitable to operate the route. The change follows a fire aboard the MV Finlandia Seaways a day before. The Scottish government seeks urgent talks between DFDS and Transport Secretary Humza Yousaf.