Historic clipper lost to Australia

A BID to keep the world's oldest passenger clipper ship in Britain was rejected yesterday in favour of sending it to Australia.

The 145-year-old City of Adelaide, currently resting on a slipway in Irvine, North Ayrshire, faced being broken up for display in a museum.

Campaigners from Sunderland, where the ship was built, were told by the Scottish Government their bid lacked practical detail, but they vowed to fight on.

The ship took passengers and cargoes of wool between Australia and Britain on more than 20 round trips.

Campaigners competed to re-float the vessel and take it to Australia or back to Sunderland.

Fiona Hyslop, Scottish culture minister, said: "I am aware that everyone who worked on the unsuccessful bid will be disappointed.

"However, because of the need for the vessel to be removed from its current location, a viable alternative to deconstruction had to be identified in order to save the ship."

Sunderland campaigner Peter Maddison, a former merchant seaman, said he planned to mount a new campaign.