THE only company selling fuel to boat owners on Windermere is to stop doing so - saying it is un-viable to replace the ageing tank.

The announcement by the Bowness Bay Marina has fuelled fears boat owners may be forced to fill up their boats from jerry cans while on the lake.

Richard Rothwell is managing director of the company. He said he had been advised by inspectors that the tanks, which were installed in the early 1970s, needed replacing or decommissioning.

He said the cost of replacing the tank would be around £50,000.

"We have been selling fuel from this site since 1985 and the pumps are getting to an age where they are basically past their sell by date," he said.

"That would be huge investment for a part of the business that doesn't really generate profit.

"The lake has changed so much over the years - especially after the speed limit came into force.

"It was a decision we did not want to make but it's been coming for a few years. It was just not a viable business but I am confident somebody will take it on."

He said there was around 2,000 litres of petrol and 400 litres of diesel remaining - but added the decommissioning process was due to begin in the next month to avoid disrupting summer business.

But Emily Roberts, whose 28-foot motorboat is moored at Windermere Marina Village, said she feared it may spell the end for some boat owners on the Lake District's most popular body of water.

"The speed restrictions did cause many motor boat owners to leave and I now fear that not being able to get fuel, will be the final straw for some," said Ms Roberts, a TV presenter and cook who regularly films in the Lake District.

"My concerns are that there will now be nowhere safe to fuel the boats and that people will go into the middle of the lake and possibly cause spillage by fuelling the boats themselves from cans.

"I would hate to see the lake suffer damage in any way at all, just because people did not act quick enough or take the common sense action to deal with the problem.

"Boats will always be a part of Windermere, so action is needed to ensure that matters such as fuelling is done as carefully as possible.

"Boat owners not only use the restaurants, visitor attractions and other shops, bars and cafes but I know that many of them have friends and family stay at apartments, guest houses and hotels."

Dan Fairweather, marina manager at WMV, which has 380 permanent boats, said: "It has come with not a lot of notice so we are looking at a temporary solution for our berth holders.

"It is not a solution for the whole of the lake because we do not have any lake frontage, the marina is quite shallow and can get easily congested."