PLANS to bring an historic clipper back to the River Wear appear to have been dashed.

Sunderland Maritime Heritage has long campaigned to have the City of Adelaide, which was used to carry emigrants from Wearside to South Australia, restored to its original state.

It also wants to see the vessel, which was built in the William Pile's shipyard, returned to a berth in the disused dock on the south side of the Wear, formerly occupied by Austin's pontoon.

The group had hoped to get financial help from Sunderland City Council, which owns the dock.

However, in a letter to Lord Maclay, chairman of the trustees of the Scottish Maritime Museum, which will have the final say on the ship's destination, general manager of the Port of Sunderland Frank Major has pledged only general support.

He said: "There is neither a commitment nor any intention to provide financial support in any shape or form."

Alec Renwick, chairman of Sunderland Maritime Heritage, which was formed specifically to bring back the City of Adelaide, said: "I can understand that the council is worried about the revenue costs, but we had hoped to take forward a joint proposal, with the council, for Heritage Lottery and European funding.

"I have spent 18 months working on this campaign, and we gathered 2,500 signatures on a petition.

"We were heartened by the initial help given by the leader of the council, Colin Anderson, and by the council's decision to support us, but now we seem to be stuck in a bureaucracy and we are getting no practical support."

Mr Renwick said the group may now be forced to send the City of Adelaide elsewhere in Britain.