Controversial US Navy ships in England to be scrapped

In 2003 Able UK Limited won a contract to dismantle, for the recovery of scrap metal, 13 former US Naval Reserve ships. The ships were to be dismantled in a 26 acre dry dock facility on the Tees Estuary.

The ships are owned by US Maritime Administration (MARAD) and had become known in the US as "ghost ships" since they were anchored for years in the James River, Virginia, without anyone on board. The name became a major factor in generating media interest.