A US court hearing into whether more former US navy ships are allowed to leave to be broken up in the North-East has ended.

But Judge Rosemary Collyer gave no clue about when she would make her final ruling on the nine ships in Virginia.

She has previously allowed four retired navy ships to head to Able UK's Graythorp yard, near Hartlepool.

Environmentalists in both the UK and the US have filed court cases to prevent the rusting ships from crossing the Atlantic.

Green groups argue it would be safer to break up the ships in the US.

The US government has argued that the ships should be allowed to cross the ocean as they were not dangerous.

Government officials conceded that there was hazardous materials on the ships, including asbestos, but that the ships were basically scrap metal.

But environmentalist group Ban said the ships were toxic and that towing them across the sea was perilous and would cause the loss of US jobs.

Back in the UK, Able requires a waste management licence from the Environment Agency, but cannot receive that until it gets approval from Hartlepool Borough Council.

Read more about the Ghost Ships campaign here.