An historic passenger ship restored to its former glory is heading to the East Anglian coast for a series of sailings.

The Waverley paddle steamer is on course to return to Clacton in September and will be cruising the River Orwell, the Thames through Tower Bridge, the River Blackwater, and the River Stour.

The vessel - the last remaining sea-going passenger-carrying vessel of its kind in operation - was built in 1946 and now operates passenger excursions around the British coast.

Timetables have been announced and bookings are being taken for seven voyages scheduled when Waverley docks at the end of Clacton Pier as part of its 75th anniversary programme.

These are set to begin on Sunday, September 24, and will run until Thursday, October 6.

Clacton Pier said its in-house team has carried out a number of "important" repairs to the berthing arm to accommodate the trips.

These include replacing a metal cleat ripped off in October 2018 when the vessel last docked at the pier and securing two wooden fenders to the arm.

The paddle steamer will be able to fill its water tanks with up 2,000m litres when it docks.

Pier director Billy Ball said he was delighted to be able to support Waverley’s Diamond Jubilee programme.

“Having vessels pick up passengers from the berthing arm takes us right back to the early beginnings of the attraction 150 years ago,” he said.

“We have worked closely with the Waverley team to ensure that everything is in place for its welcome return on September 24. It will be a fantastic sight to see her back again.”

The Waverley was withdrawn from service in May 2019 after boiler trouble and its operators needed to raise £2.3m to replace them.

After a successful appeal, it was due back in 2020 but the pandemic and staffing issues scuppered the plans.

Tim Wardley - chairman of the National Piers Society with a 30-year association with Waverley - said: "I am very grateful to Clacton Pier for making this happen as our Diamond Jubilee celebrations would not have been the same without calling at Clacton.

“There is such rich history behind vessels docking at the pier and the sailings are a boost to the seaside economy.”