RIVER cruises along the Severn will be unaffected after a boat company is finally wound-up two years after it stopped trading.

River Severn Cruises Limited closed its doors in December 2006 and went into voluntary liquidation after a creditors meeting last month.

The company, which ran cruises between Worcester and Gloucester, was set up as a joint venture between existing firms Worcester River Cruises and Severn Leisure Cruises based in Upton-upon-Severn. Bookings were handled from offices in Waterside, Upton, but passengers had existing tickets honoured.

Chris Winwood was one of the directors and is proprietor of Worcester River Cruises which takes travellers along the Severn.

He said: “The company did not work. We had different management styles so we made a decision to part ways.

“There is cash in the bank but a decision with creditors could not be done without the liquidation.”

He said his company’s bookings were up for next year after another disappointing summer.

Ken Harris, a non-executive director of the business, lost about £40,000 in the venture.

He has now returned to running successful Severn Leisure – the company he set up in 1979 with his wife Veronica Harris as co-director.

Trips operate between April and Christmas with private hire available on boat the Conway Castle.

Worcester River Cruises is operating between April and October with the Pride of The Midlands travelling from the city’s North Quay. Forty-five minute trips are available on The Earl from South Quay.

Tenon Recovery, which has been appointed as liquidator, will now wind-up the company, which was described as “a tidying-up exercise” by Tim Sharp, Tenon senior manager corporate.

Mr Sharp said: “The two companies involved are both doing very well and have gone ahead into the future.”