War of words as 'ghost ships' sail closer

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

The former US Navy vessels tainted with chemicals are expected to pull alongside in Hartlepool on Wednesday.

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett gave permission for the ships to be temporarily stored in the port before they are returned to the US.

But plans to dismantle the ships - Canopus and Caloosahatchee - at a yard owned by Able UK were shelved after the proposal was deemed to flout international rules.

A decision on two other ships still bound for the UK, which together with the first pair make up the controversial ghost fleet, has yet to be made.

Mrs Beckett said the ships would be temporarily stored at the port before going back across the Atlantic because it was the safest option.

But environmental group Friends of the Earth criticised the decision as a "stitch-up".

Director Tony Juniper said there was "no possible way" that Hartlepool was "the closest safe place to store these ships."

The move to allow the ships to dock was made after discussions between Mrs Beckett and US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.

Robert Johnson, spokesman for the US Department of Transportation, said: "We are encouraged by the decision to allow the first two ships to continue on their original intended destination of Hartlepool but we are still working on the - alternative deposition of the ships.

"We consider that to remain an open question - one that will ultimately be impacted by the UK court's decision."

Peter Stephenson, managing director of Able UK, said it was "sensible" that the ships completed their journey to the yard at Graythorp in Hartlepool.

The future of the ships will be determined in court at the beginning of December, he added.