THE third ship from the so-called Ghost Fleet arrived in the North-East yesterday - and sparked another bout of bickering.

Opponents and supporters clashed as the former US Navy submarine repair vessel Canopus docked at the Able UK yard, in Hartlepool.

The Conservatives made demands for the ship - along with the Compass Island, which is due to arrive today, and the Caloosahatchee and Canisteo, which docked a fortnight ago - to be sent back to the US.

A Commons motion, headed by Shadow Environmental Secretary Caroline Spellman and backed by 19 senior Tories, was tabled on the first day of the new Parliamentary session.

But Stockton North Labour MP Frank Cook hit out at what he called the "blatant scaremongering tactics" of critics of the £11m deal to recycle a total of 13 redundant ships.

Last night, the Environment Agency vowed to carry out weekly inspections at the site to make sure conditions attached to Able's licence are not breached.

The two latest vessels will be covered by the same rules that ban any dismantling, cutting or breaking of the ships to make sure the environment is protected.

Craig McGarvey, the Environment Agency's area manager, said that both dock and estuary waters will be monitored to ensure there is no threat from pollution.

He said: "The agency and the UK Government are committed to the highest possible environmental standards and regulation and believe temporary storage of the vessels at Hartlepool best meets our objectives of safety and environmental protection.

"These ships are not inherently dangerous and do not carry any form of toxic cargo. The vessels have been professionally verified as seaworthy and contain only quantities of hazardous substances common to all ships of that age."

A High Court hearing next month will determine whether work to dismantle the four ships can go ahead or if they should be returned to the James River, in Virginia.

Able's managing director Peter Stephenson is confident of success, and of work starting shortly after Christmas.

But Friends of the Earth campaigns director Mike Childs accused the company and the US authorities of "blatantly ignoring" the Environment Agency, which three times said the ships should not sail.

To read more about the Ghost Ships, log on to: www.ghostships.co.uk