The government has been accused of wasting £400,000 of taxpayers' money on a non-existent ferry service across the Thames at Hammersmith.

The Department for Transport sanctioned the spending on the scheme that was originally devised to carry foot passengers across the river following the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.

The ferry was not needed following a decision to open the bridge to pedestrians and cyclists in July, however the bills associated with a contract for the ferry have continued to rack up.

The long-standing closure of the bridge has brought jams to the roads in south west London amid an on-going dispute between the government and local councils over the funding of repairs.

The Richmond Park MP, Sarah Olney, has condemned the 'inexcusable' waste of public money on the scrapped ferry scheme.

The MP said the money involved could have been better used on improving bus services or supporting the establishment of a rickshaw service between Barnes and Hammersmith.

"Once the Bridge was reopened to pedestrians and cyclists, and assurances were given that it would not be closed for extended periods of time, it was clear to almost everyone that the ferry service would no longer be required," she said.

"Apparently the DfT did not get the memo. Now nearly half a million pounds has been spent on retaining a service that will never see the light of day.

"Throughout this entire saga, getting the government to cough up any significant funds has been painfully hard work, so seeing how much money has been wasted on the ferry really is inexcusable when you think about what else it could have been spent on.

"For instance, the funds could have gone to improving the local bus services that my constituents have been relying on in the Bridge's absence, or into installing a rickshaw service that would have benefited the elderly and disabled."

The details of the money involved emerged following a question to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, from Lib-Dem London Assembly Member, Caroline Pidgeon.

The Mayor's office said that Transport for London (TfL) had sought to minimise costs associated with the temporary ferry. However, it said a Taskforce led by the Department of Transport (DfT) had continued to pursue the scheme, resulting in costs amounting to £80,000 for every four weeks since August 2021.

These payments have been met with funding provided by the DfT as part of the Government's financial settlements in October 2020 and June 2021, which were ring-fenced for this purpose.

It was decided in November that the ferry scheme would not be needed and details to terminate the contract with Uber Boats, operated by Thames Clippers, are being finalised.

The final bill for the ferry service that never was is not clear, however the MP has estimated the figure at approximately £400,000.