A US court has ruled that four highly polluted "ghost ships" can be sent to Britain for scrapping, according to reports.
A Washington judge ruled the four former US Navy ships could sail to Hartlepool after an application by environmental groups was rejected, according to the report. It is not clear when the ships will set sail.
Insurance Times previously reported market sources had indicated that Beazley has underwritten the ship's journey by tug from their current moorings in Virginia, US.
The ships contain asbestos, carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and up to half a million tonnes of marine diesel oil.
Environmentalists are concerned over possible environmental impact should the vessels become damaged while crossing the Atlantic, said the report.
But the managing director of Able UK, the ship yard scheduled to dismantle the ships, said: "There is no more risk to the marine environment during transportation than for any other ship on the high seas," said the report.
The ruling only relates to four of ships of the fleet. The hearing regarding the other nine vessels is scheduled for 20 0ctober, said the report.
