Arrival of asbestos-laden warship 'meets with anger'

The pending arrival of a French warship, the Clemenceau, in the UK, is causing waves among environmentalists in its home country.

Having been turned away from Egypt in 2006, the warship, which was built in the 60s, is laden with 700 tonnes of toxic asbestos and is due to be decommissioned in a dockyard in Hartlepool, north-east England.

However, French environmentalist group AE2D is attempting to stop the ship from sailing to the UK, claiming that the dockyard "does not have the skills and knowledge necessary to scrap the Clemenceau […] whilst respecting environment and work safety norms."

The group is taking the issue to court today and if it fails in its bid to keep the ship in France, will travel to the UK to protest, it stated.

Currently, Able UK, the group which won the contract to dismantle the ship, is currently waiting for a spate of good weather to transport the vessel to its final destination.

The move was also criticised last October by Hartlepool residents, who claimed the operations could pose a significant risk to public health.