TfL sued after Thames cruise boat rips open damaged

Transport for London is being sued for alleged negligence after a pleasure-boat carrying 29 passengers was "torn open" by a piece of jagged steel protruding from Westminster Pier.

Water poured through a 2.2metre gash in the Millennium City boat on a Thames cruise in January last year.

Emergency services were called to pump water from the flooding boat but no passengers or crew were hurt.

City Cruises is taking TfL to the High Court in March, claiming it failed to maintain its pier, causing more than £100,000 of damage.

However, TfL says the damage was caused by the negligence of the master of the vessel and that the piece of jagged steel was exposed by the boat being driven into it.