THE owner of troubled shipbuilder Swan Hunter last night dismissed claims that he had only nine days to find a buyer for the shipyard or face closure.

Dutch millionaire Jaap Kroese said he would sell the North Tyneside yard if the right buyer was to come along, but said reports that he would just sell up or walk away were "rubbish".

He also said there was hope for the future of the Wallsend yard and said he was in talks with a company in Holland about a major contract.

"I have no idea where this suggestion that I have nine days has come from. It is rubbish," he said.

"We have had some people inquiring about the yard. If somebody comes along and pays the right money, and wants to keep the business going, then I would sell the yard to them.

"I'm not going to say I won't sell the yard, but I haven't got a For Sale sign up or anything. I will keep the yard going."

Swans has been under pressure to secure more contracts in recent months as work on the second of two Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, the Lyme Bay, winds down.

Reports have suggested that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is considering moving the Lyme Bay from Swans before it is completed due to price concerns.

An MoD spokesman said: "Swan Hunter has indicated that there are likely to be cost increases and we are aware of that. We are in negotiations with them at the moment over these cost increases and that is as much as we can say."

Mr Kroese said the Lyme Bay would provide another year's work for Swan Hunter.

Without it, Swans hopes to be granted licences to dismantle ships at Wallsend. It is awaiting an Environment Agency decision on its application, which is expected later this month.

Mr Kroese said: "The workforce would be very disappointed if the ship (Lyme) was to leave. There are other things. I have got people coming from Holland to discuss the building of eight roll-on roll-off ships."

At the end of last year, Swans failed to land a major share of £4bn in aircraft carrier contracts. In the past four months, its workforce has fallen by more than 300.