MP fears for future of Endurance

HMS Endurance should be on patrol in the Antarctic and South Atlantic

An MP has raised fears a Royal Navy ship could be scrapped because repairs to its engine room will be too costly.

Engineers are still assessing damage to the Portsmouth-based HMS Endurance after it lost power when the engine room was flooded.

Ten people had to be rescued when the ship was left without main power and propulsion off Chile last month.

The Royal Navy said it was considering all options but the aim was to get the ship back into service.

A spokesman added: "Work has been undertaken to consider all options, but until the assessment is complete it is simply not helpful to speculate on the way ahead or the extent of the damage.

"However, it can be said that the aim is to get the ship back into South Atlantic operations as soon as possible."

From people I know in the navy the damage is pretty bad Mike Hancock, Portsmouth South MP

HMS Endurance has been towed to the Falkland Islands for inspection.

The navy has ruled out a collision or grounding as the cause of the flood.

Engineers are looking at the possibility that a faulty sea water valve may have been to blame.

Sources in the salvage industry told the BBC the bill for towing the ship back could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Portsmouth South MP, Mike Hancock, is putting a number of questions to the government over the future of the ship.

"From people I know in the navy the damage is pretty bad," he said.

"I want to know if it is going to be brought home, is it going to be scrapped?

"If it is scrapped, will it be replaced?

"The ship is vital in its role in the Antarctic."

The ship's mission is to patrol and survey the Antarctic and South Atlantic, where it spends seven months of the year.