CRASH repair costs which CalMac fought to keep secret after a collision involving Gourock ferry MV Coruisk totalled nearly £400,000, the Tele can reveal.

The publicly owned shipping firm had consistently refused over a near four-month period to reveal the scale of damage caused to the vessel after we lodged a Freedom of Information request.

But bosses who had been determined to keep the figure hidden finally relented after the Telegraph formally asked Scotland’s Information Commissioner to probe their point-blank refusal.

Just three days before a deadline for final written submissions to be made to the commissioner, CalMac confirmed its u-turn — and revealed the Coruisk’s badly bashed bow, pictured, cost £360,208 to fix.

The Tele told in March how the 1,599-ton ship had smashed into a breakwater berth at Dunoon in thick fog.

She clattered into the structure in a 7.15am collision which caused a large section of her hull to crumple.

Around 100 early morning commuters were left temporarily stranded as a result.

CalMac had insisted that releasing the cost of the damage was ‘exempt’ under Freedom of Information laws.

The company cited ‘commercial interests and the economy’ for its refusal to answer the Tele’s question.

Bosses maintained their position after we asked them to carry out an internal review of the original refusal.

But they backed down after the Information Commissioner’s office declared the Tele’s appeal to be ‘valid’.

CalMac records manager Alan Redhead confirmed in an email: “The company has reviewed the decision to decline your request and can advise you that we are prepared to release this information to you.” Mr Redhead stated: “We have had another look...and have come to the conclusion that the repair costs on their own should not be considered exempt.” The Coruisk had been operating on the Gourock-Dunoon route to cover peak time sailings and combat adverse weather cancellations of the lightweight 78-tonne passenger boat MV Ali Cat when the collision occurred.

The Tele told on Saturday how Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that the Coruisk will return to the route again this winter.