Poor weather delays ghost ship arrival

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

Three ships are already berthed at the Able UK yard, near Hartlepool, and the cargo vessel Compass Island, the largest of the redundant US fleet, was due to join them today.

The arrival of the first two ships, the Caloosahatchee and Canisteo, was met with protests by groups who claim the rusting ships are an environmental hazard.

They say they are carrying large quantities of asbestos and dangerous PCB chemicals and should not have been allowed to make the transatlantic trip.

A third vessel, the Canopus, arrived yesterday. Protesters are now awaiting the outcome of legal challenges about the future of the ships.

The Compass Island will be held several miles offshore and dock early on Tuesday morning.

Able UK managing director Peter Stephenson said: “We need daylight and we need high tide and Tuesday provides the next opportunity.

“The ship is now several miles off the coast in a holding pattern to the full satisfaction of the coastguard and harbour master.

“Naturally we would have preferred to have the Compass Island tied up today but the light was extremely poor, it was dull and overcast and fading fast.”

Able UK won a contract to dismantle and recycle 13 vessels from the outdated fleet sitting in the James River in Virginia.

A judicial review is scheduled for the High Court in London next month, which will determine whether the ships can be recycled in Britain or must be returned to America.

The other nine ships will remain in Virginia until at least next spring pending legal challenges in the US.

Mr Stephenson maintains he is confident that the court will rule that the work should be carried out on Teesside, and create 200 jobs.