Industry

Two miles out to sea, amid the swell, tugs from Teesport rendez-vous with what was once the pride of the French navy.

This isn't the first vessel to come here for recycling, and it's not the most controversial, but at well over thirty thousand tonnes, it's by far the biggest.

The Environment Agency says rigorous controls are in place to ensure asbestos from Le Clemenceau won't damage our health.

Clemenceau at sea.

The arrival of the vessel has divided opinion among environmentalists. Some groups are furious to see it come to Teesside, saying the French should deal with it themselves. Others see the fact that it is being dismantled in an EU licensed yard, rather than on the beaches of India, which was nearly its fate, as progress, at least.

Shortly after 2pm on Sunday, February 8, with less than the length of a council swimming pool to spare either side, Clemenceau slipped into place between two of the US Ghost ships, all of them ready to be taken apart once the dock is drained.