An important part of this will be to ensure the vessels that use the river can be effectively maintained.

This boatyard will extend the facilities available to maintain and repair river vessels and increase job opportunities in this highly skilled area.'

Thames Craft is one of London's last remaining commercial boatyards on this part of the tidal Thames and carries out more than 50% of all annual maintenance work for London's maritime tourism industry, and more than 50% of maintenance requiring Marine Coastguard Agency (MCA) accreditation.

Paul Deverell, Thames Craft General Manager, who founded the Greenwich based business more than 20 years ago, said 'We have to keep pace with the changing demands of our customers, who are looking for faster turnaround times and predictable scheduling of maintenance. We continue to invest in additional capacity and specialist skills.'

MJ Information No: 19706