Environmental campaigners were tonight celebrating a legal victory in the latest stage of their battle to prevent a fleet of so-called “ghost ships” being dismantled in the UK.

A fourth “ghost ship” will have to stay offshore over the weekend after bad light prevented it from docking in England today.

The two contaminated former US Navy ships at the centre of an environmental row are expected to arrive in the Channel soon.

The war of words has continued to rage as two contaminated ships from the US were given permission to dock in Britain.