Coventry's helicopter ran down a drugs boat

"The others are sat in Portsmouth Harbour awaiting a buyer. Some have been waiting three years."

The Romanian government has now announced its intention to buy the two ships.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We would hope to have the agreement signed by the autumn."

"The Type 22 is a highly regarded and valued platform which has been the workforce of the Royal Navy for many years. They have only become available through very necessary restructuring of our warship fleet"

Two other Type 22 frigates, the former HMS Brave and Boxer, are being prepared for possible sale, along with the Leander-class Scylla.

Too costly

Finding a buyer is expected to be difficult - especially after the scrapping of HMS Beaver, the other Type 22 ship.

The controversial Strategic Defence Review of 1997 led to a decision that the vessels were too expensive to run.

The number of destroyers and frigates in the Royal Navy was cut from 35 to 32 under the review.

Mr Critchley told BBC News Online the cuts were a mistake.

Patrols cut

"On her last operation, HMS Coventry came back from the West Indies having done a �40m drugs bust," he said.

"Three months later, they only just got round to sending a ship to relieve her, because they haven't got enough ships to do it.

"They still have the same commitments."

HMS Coventry made her final run home last November.

Patrols in the South Atlantic and West Indies were cut by 75% under the defence review.

But the MoD promised a ship would always be in the West Indies in the hurricane season, and there would always be one within 14 days' steaming.