The four ships will stay on Teesside until next year

The Compass Island arrived off the coast of north-east England on Friday.

It was due to join three other vessels which have already arrived but bad light prevented it from docking at the Able UK yard near Hartlepool and it stayed offshore over the weekend.

The ship had then been due to be brought in on Tuesday morning but light and tides were not suitable and the next available opportunity is Wednesday morning.

The first two ships were met by protesters, who said the fleet was an environmental hazard, containing asbestos and other waste material, and should not have been allowed over from America.

But protesters have stayed away since, saying they are now waiting for the outcome of legal challenges.

Able UK won a contract to dismantle and recycle 13 vessels from the outdated US fleet, which had been in the James River in Virginia.

Campaign groups

A judicial review is scheduled for the High Court, in London, in December.

It will determine whether the ships can be recycled in Britain or returned to America.

The remaining nine vessels which formed Able UK's contract, will stay in Virginia until at least next spring pending legal challenges there.

The first two ships to arrive were the Caloosahatchee and the Canisteo. The third was the Canopus.

Able UK boss Peter Stephenson welcomed the arrival of the ships and said he remained confident that the courts would rule that the work should be carried out on Teesside, creating 200 jobs.

Mr Stephenson, who believes many people have been misled by campaign groups about the safety of the ships, said: "When people know the truth about these vessels, they will realise there's nothing at all to be worried about.

"I am confident that the work will eventually go ahead here and people should actually be proud of the fact that we secured the contract from America."