PLANS to dismantle 13 dilapidated US ships in the North-East were last night branded an "environmental disaster in the making" by politicians and environmentalists.

A row has broken out over the contract to dispose of the ships on Teesside.

Environmentalists fear the rusting hulks pose a serious environmental risk.

They were backed by Liberal Democrat spokesman Norman Baker, who accused the US of shirking its environmental responsibilities, and said Britain should not become a dumping ground for hazardous waste from other countries.

Peter Stevenson, managing director of Able UK, reacted angrily to claims by Friends of The Earth that his £10.8m plan to dispose of the warships was endangering the environment.

He rejected fears the fleet, which is moored in Virginia, would leave a trail of devastation as it faces stormy weather travelling 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

Mr Stevenson denied the ships were heavily polluted with asbestos, oil and deadly polychlorinated bi-phenyls (PCBs).

He said such claims were "inaccurate scaremongering of the highest order".

He said: "Only a fool would go ahead with such a dangerous, unhealthy and reckless process as some pressure groups have suggested.

"Those who carelessly point the finger of doom should check their facts properly before they try to panic the people of Teesside and beyond.

"I am in the business of creating jobs and security on Teesside, not pressing the self-destruct button."

About 200 jobs are expected to be created when work to dismantle the ships starts at the company's dry dock at Graythorp, near Hartlepool.

Work is expected to start in February, but the fleet must first make a four-week journey to the North-East, towed by tugs.

Six of the vessels are expected to leave the US this month, with a further seven following next summer.

The company will oversee the vessels' 4,000-mile journey from Virginia to the dry dock, where they will be dismantled.

Mr Baker said: ''These ships are a serious health risk and an environmental disaster in the making."

Friends of the Earth spokesman Mike Childs said: "The worst-case scenario is they break up coming into Teesside and pollute beaches such as Redcar and Scarborough."