PASSENGERS could soon be travelling by hovercraft between Wirral and Wales as a company plans to re-launch a service last seen in the 1960s.

Hoverlink (NW) believes the service could take 200,000 visitors to North Wales every year and will be operational in 2015.

The initiative, supported by Wirral Council's regeneration department, will run from New Brighton's lifeboat station's launch stage.

The enterprise will cost around £1m to set up and could create 100 permanent jobs.

The world’s first commercial passenger hovercraft service ran briefly from Rhyl to Moreton beach in 1962, but ended when a storm hit the hovercraft while it was moored, damaging its lifting engines.

Hoverlink's director Simon Clitheroe told the Globe: "Wirral has been identified as a major terminal hub for this service and will become an integral part of our service.

"I was born in Wirral, work in Wirral and believe the borough is the ideal location for this development.

"We are putting 2015 as a starting point as we see this as a realistic time to start.

"Once operational, we will be able to transport customers from Wirral to Blackpool or Llandudno within 30 minutes, far beating any mode of transport currently available for speed and efficiency."

Kevin Adderley, Wirral Council's strategic director for regeneration and environment, said: "We have been in discussions with Hoverlink as they develop their proposals for a hovercraft link between Wirral and North Wales.

"At the moment, these are only proposals, which the authority currently supports."

Hoverlink is encouraging potential customers to visit its social media sites for updates on the planned service.

Log onto Twitter -@hoverlink and Facebook/hoverlink.