In Larne Port, Co.Antrim, P&O Ferrymasters recorded a pre-tax profit of £11.1 million in results for the year in which its parent company, P&O Ferries, fired 800 workers across the UK and Ireland, the Belfast Telegraph reveals.

According to accounts for 2022, which were filed at Companies House last month by P&O Ferrymasters, the harbour town that connects Cairnryan, Scotland, had a strong financial performance. This took place just as its parent ferry company fired the existing workforce in order to hire other workers based on poorer terms.

The road and rail transport operations of P&O Ferrymasters are to be found internationally, as well as freight management within Europe.

Both North Channel ports of Larne and Cairnryan are part of the P&O Ferries group and are owned by Dubai-headquartered conglomerate DP World, which hit the headlines in March 2022 when a P&O Ferries official delivered a video message. This was issued to staff and crew, informing them their jobs were ending with immediate effect.

The mass sacking affected 800 people in total, including dozens of workers on the Larne-Cairnryan route who held protests at the north-east harbour over the actions of their former employer.

More from the newspaper on the story.