Concern over former nightclub boat in Middlesbrough
- Published
Tuxedo Royale is now berthed near Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium
There are fears that a former floating nightclub moored off Teesside is at risk of sinking.
When the Tuxedo Royale ceased operating in 2006 ship dismantling company Able UK agreed to provide temporary storage while its future was considered.
However, owners Absolute Leisure went into administration in 2009 and since then the rusting vessel has remained at one of Able's docks in Middlesbrough.
It has been subjected to vandalism and is now listing badly.
Neil Etherington from Able UK said: "It is taking up a quay space for which we could find a much better use and the unpaid bills for its storage continue to rise.
"We are now in discussions with both the port authority and the appropriate regulators in an effort to deal both with the immediate concerns over the vessel and to find a solution to an issue which, of course, is none of our making."
Before moving to Middlesbrough, the Tuxedo Royale was berthed in Newcastle for six years, and was a famous feature in the city's night life.