Stricken ferry to be dismantled

The ferry ran aground in January

A ferry stranded off the Blackpool coast is to be dismantled on the beach, officials have decided.

Riverdance ran aground off the Lancashire coast in January after being hit by a freak wave as it sailed from Northern Ireland to Heysham.

After several failed efforts to refloat the vessel by owners, Seatruck Ferries, the firm said it will never sail again.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has now said that the ferry will be dismantled and the parts recycled.

The process is expected to take between 12 and 14 weeks.

A total of 23 people were airlifted to safety - 19 crew and four passengers when the 6,000-ton vessel ran aground.

'Minimum disruption'

It has since become a popular tourist attraction as people from across the UK visit Blackpool to see the ferry, which is stuck fast on its side.

It is estimated that about 4m (4.4yards) of the ferry's wheelhouse is under the sand.

The vessel will now be stripped down internally until only the shell remains.

The hull will then be cut into manageable pieces and transported for recycling, the MCA said.

Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP), said the operation would cause "minimum disruption" in the area.

The original plan to refloat the Riverdance was abandoned after it was battered by storms last month, causing it to list further and sink deeper into the sand.

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