Hundreds of day-trippers were left disappointed after a visit by an historic steam boat was cancelled at the last minute.

About 300 people queued on Worthing Pier expecting to board the last serving sea-going paddle steamer, The Waverley, for a trip to the Isle of Wight, Bournemouth and Poole Harbour.

But just 40 minutes before the ship was supposed to dock at the end of the pier, the visit was cancelled.

The captain said The Waverley, which had moored over night at Southampton, could not approach the structure because the sea was too rough and had a large swell.

But foreshore inspector Ian Miller said the sea was calm, with only a slight swell.

He said: "Apparently it did not come because it was too rough. The captain said there was a large swell but we had only a very slight one and the sea was absolutely flat and calm. It is ridiculous.

"The Waverley and the Glasgow-based company's other ship, The Balmoral, only come to Worthing a couple of times a year and it is always a bit of an event. But this time they have disappointed a lot of people. It seems a bit strange."

The disappointed passengers who had travelled from all over the South to take part in the trip were told to board six coaches to Southampton where they could join the ship.

Jane Anderson, 51, travelled from Holt, in Wiltshire, with her husband Frank for a trip on the vessel. She said: "We started out at 8 o'clock because we had a three-hour journey.

"When we arrived we found a poster on the pier saying it wasn't coming after all. Apparently it is because the sea is too rough but it looks as flat as a millpond."

Waverley Excursions Ltd, which runs the trips, said the steamer's captain had decided the night before not to call at Worthing after encountering strong winds on the way to Southampton.

A spokeswoman said: "As so many people had pre-booked tickets, we had to decide whether or not to arrange coaches instead the night before.

"Apparently by yesterday morning the sea was very calm but by then the coaches had been booked and anyway there was not enough time for the ship to get to Worthing.

"I know some passengers were initially disappointed but in the end they were all fairly happy and had an enjoyable day on board."

She said passengers who had missed out on the Worthing to Southampton leg of the journey would be offered half-price vouchers as compensation.

Earlier this summer, The Waverley's sister ship The Balmoral caused £2,000 of damage when it collided with the pier landing stage.

A second visit by the vessel was cancelled by seafront officials amid fears of further damage being caused to the landmark structure.