GUARDIANS of Britain's birdlife last night urged American authorities to think again over plans to dispose of condemned US warships in the North-East.

Concerned that two chemical contaminated vessels are already on their way to Hartlepool, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds wants a full environmental impact assessment before any more of the condemned ships set sail.

Lying across the Tees estuary, from Graythorpe Dock, the final destination of the ships laden with diesel, PCB dioxins and asbestos are the Seal Sands mudflats.

This is a site which attracts more than 20,000 wildfowl and wading birds; an area of designated European importance.

Nick Mason, conservation manager for the RSPB North of England said: "Until there is a cast-iron guarantee that this work will have no adverse impact on the internationally important wildlife of the Tees estuary, we do not want to see any more ships set sail.

"Our current assessment of the situation is that the plans to scrap the 'ghost fleet' could have an impact on the wildlife of the Tees.

"We are calling for all activities associated with the dismantling of these vessels to be subject to a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

"We are very concerned that ships are already on their way and others preparing to set sail, before a full consideration of the environmental impact has been carried out here in the UK."

Able UK, the firm which will break up the ships, has won an important ally in the shape of Lord Whitty who has responsibility for transport and environment matters in the Lords.

He told the peers: "We should take some pride in the fact that British expertise - based, in this case, in Hartlepool - is able to do the dismantling job to the satisfaction of the American Government.''

Friends of the Earth, accused by Able's managing director Peter Stephenson of scaremongering, claims the ships are coming to Hartlepool only because Able's tender for the job was cheaper than that of the companies in the US