Victims of a simulated accident on Windermere said the emergency services' response was too slow, but planners insisted they were pleased with the exercise.

More than 100 journalists, ferry crew and members of the public boarded the MV Tern at Bowness to join Exercise Early Warning, which tests the accident response of emergency services.

The scenario was that the Tern's engine exploded, injuring several passengers, and requiring the removal of everyone on board.

But it was 40 minutes before the last of the passengers stepped off the ferry and that was much too long, according to several participants.

John Eaton, the manager of the National Trust Steam Yacht Gondola, on Coniston, said the rescuers were right to take the injured' passengers off first but added: "It's taking too long."

He put his head in his hands as a rescuer came alongside without a lifejacket on and, as the crewman in sunglasses smiled, said: "It's not funny. This is a proper exercise."

Jim Doyle, a boat attendant for the Keswick Launch Company, said: "It's just too relaxed. Fingers crossed they would be quicker in a real emergency.

"There wasn't enough communication to explain what was going on. People say go to the stern' and a normal member of the public wouldn't know what that was."

However, Cumbria County Council emergency planning officer David Humphreys said he was satisfied with the response of Cumbria Police, cruise operators, Lake District National Park Authority lake wardens, HM Coastguard and volunteers.

He said: "We don't look at it as a demonstration of the (Cumbria Lakes emergency) plan, we are looking for things to go wrong so we can learn from the mistakes.

"We've had a tremendous response from the lake wardens. There has been some criticism about how long it took to get people off the front of the boat but that's a decision of the police and the lakes wardens."

In response to the suggestion the exercise was unrealistic and treated lightly by many participants, he said: "If there had been more fire or smoke there might have been more urgency. I wasn't treating it as a fun thing."

At least 14 vessels took part, with 111 passengers, five crew and 40 observers, not including the straw-filled dummies in boiler suits that were flung into the cold water.

The exercise, which would not run in bad weather as it is too dangerous, involved crews from Windermere Lake Cruises, which hosted the drill, Keswick Launch Company, Ullswater Steamers, Coniston Launch and National Trust Steam Yacht Gondola.

The final words of the day were left to the captain of the ferry that returned the participants to Bowness: "Ladies and gentlemen, in the very unlikely event of an incident, please stay calm. The bar is now open."

It is more than ten years since an emergency drill on this scale has taken place on Windermere - the last time such a large response took place was in 1988.