More than 8,800 people bought ferry tickets on the day bookings opened for TT 2016.

The Steam Packet says the numbers are up by 33 per cent on last year - which was itself a record. The company started taking reservations on Monday and extra staff were drafted in to cope with the demand.

Chief executive Mark Woodward said: 'I would like to pay tribute to all our staff who worked flat out throughout the day to assist as many TT fans as possible to secure their travel for the 2016 TT.

'Due to the extremely high level of inquiries, I appreciate there will have been frustration for some customers who could not immediately get through on the phone or experienced delays online. By bringing in additional staff where possible and by investing in making our online booking system more robust we have made considerable steps forward in meeting demand.'

The Steam Packet says the number of motorcycles booked increased from 3,452 to 4,621, and the number of other vehicles, including cars and vans, increased from 935 to 1,277. Online bookings were up 80% on last year, with almost 1,800 made through www.steam-packet.com, while 1,520 reservations were made by phone or in person.


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