THE tide has definitely turned against the so-called "ghost ships" being allowed to enter British waters.

But when it comes to leadership on what has become an internationally significant issue, the Government is giving a good impression of being rudderless.

Consider the whole sorry mess: The Government's Environment Agency warns US officials that the toxic ships should not set sail three days before they leave America en route to Hartlepool... Only after they leave does it emerge from Hartlepool Borough Council that there is no planning permission for a dry dock in which the ships can be scrapped... Able UK says planning permission isn't a problem... Environment Minister Elliot Morley says the ships should go back until the planning wrangle can be resolved... Hartlepool councillors unanimously agree... but Transport secretary Alistair Darling says it's not his problem and tosses it back to the Environment Agency.

In other words, utter confusion.

Meanwhile, the ships sail on through stormy waters with no one apparently able to provide a steer on the direction they should be taking.

It must be clear to anyone by now that the ghost ships' voyage was ill-considered and rushed. Too many basic questions were not asked and it defies belief that the debate had to wait for the ships to become the subject of an increasingly bizarre transatlantic stalemate.

Whatever Able UK says about media exaggeration being to blame for the mounting opposition, when it comes to environmental considerations it looks like a case of "let's get the show on the road and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it".

We know the North-East is desperate for jobs - we tell the Government at every opportunity how the manufacturing crisis has affected the region.

But surely we are not so desperate that we should be asked to take risks with our environment while so many concerns remain unanswered.

Someone, somewhere, must have the clout to tell the US that we don't want its dodgy cast-offs. The Government is all at sea and its captain - namely Tony Blair - should step up to the bridge.