Visiting yachts to Weymouth Harbour were down slightly on the year to the end of August.

Figures for the harbour management board on September 26 show 4,248 visitor nights to the end of the month – three per cent down on the same period for 2017-18 and one per down on the three-year average.

The harbour master's report also shows that inner harbour marina berths were also down – 282 of 411 in use at the end of the period, compared to 322 in 2017.

All 29 chain and sinker moorings remain in use and 84 of the 105 commercial berths are taken.

The drop in numbers is being partly blamed for an expected reduction in projected end of financial year figures.

It had been hoped to put more than £112,000 into a reserve fund at the end of the 2018-19 financial year, but this figure has now been revised downwards to £53,000.