Duke of Lancaster: Appeal after alleged burglary of abandoned ship

This police photo shows one man scaling the ship

Police say they want to speak to two men after an alleged burglary at a huge abandoned ship in Flintshire.

The dry-docked Duke of Lancaster, on Coast Road, Mostyn, has been beached for more than 40 years.

North Wales Police said they believed the incident took place sometime between 3-4 September, and items are reported to have been stolen.

The Duke of Lancaster, which is near the A548 Flint-Prestatyn coast road, has not been used since the 1980s.

According to enthusiasts, it ferried passengers between Heysham to Belfast in the 50s and 60s before being converted into a car ferry.

In 1975 it was used briefly on the Fishguard-Rosslare ferry service before running between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire until it was retired in 1978.

Police released this photo of two men they want to speak to

A year later it was docked at its present location.

Its final purpose was as the home of a market and leisure complex.

Earlier this month WalesOnline reported that the Duke of Lancaster's owner criticised "urban explorers" who he said broke into the ship by scaling an anchor chain.