A Holyhead councillor has said the damage to the port is "not something you can just patch up with a band-aid".

Holyhead Port has been closed since early December following damage from Storm Darragh.

Ferry services between Ireland and Holyhead have been cancelled until January 15th.

On The Hard Shoulder, Isle of Anglesey County Council's Chairperson Glyn Haynes said he is worried the port's re-opening could be delayed.

"I know the official line is basically mid-January, that is looking highly unlikely," he said.

"There are unofficial sources saying it could stretch into March and to be quite honest, that doesn’t surprise me in the least, envisaging the amount of work that has to take place to get that up and running. 

"It’s not something that you can just patch up with a bandaid - it’s got to be fit for purpose and meet all the health and safety requirements."

Mr Haynes said the closure of the port has impacted the town of Holyhead itself and freight companies.

"The port itself is like a ghost town, for the local residents the difference is phenomenal, it’s a different world in that respect," he said.

“When you look at the impact of the freight companies, they must be pulling their hair out - it’s major upheaval all the way around."

Lorries and trailers at Holyhead Port, North Wales, UK. Image: Alamy

Irish Road Hauliers Association spokesperson Eugene Drennan has called for clarity on the port's reopening.

"To date we haven’t been informed of the exact position of Holyhead as to what they hope to do, what the future looks like," he said.

"We badly need to get to know the truth about Holyhead and where it’s at, and what sort of timeline so we can plan for the future."

Mr Drennan said hauliers have "bent over backwards" to meet customers' needs amid the Holyhead closure.

"We’ll be moving freight around from port to port, we’ve been running longer distances - we've got it over the line for the most part," he said.

However, the current challenge the industry is facing is getting hauliers home for Christmas.

Feature image shows Boarding Ro-Ro ferry M/V Stena Adventurer at Holyhead Port, North Wales, UK, Alamy.