Shipyard reaches end of the line

Swan Hunter's cranes have long dominated the skyline

A Tyneside shipyard has reached the end of the line with buyers being sought for its buildings and land.

Swan Hunter was forced to close after no further contracts were forthcoming and plans to establish the yard as a breaking business came to nothing.

The iconic cranes, which have dominated the Wallsend skyline for decades, have already been sold off.

Potential buyers hoping to develop the riverside site would have to work with the local council.

Chief executive Jaap Kroese said: "It was the end this summer, when we couldn't find any more work.

I feel absolutely terrible, every time I talk about it I still get very emotional. Jaap Kroese

"We tried to find somebody who would take the yard over, but couldn't, so last month we sold all the equipment and are now looking for somebody to buy the property and the land.

"I was hoping to keep the cranes but it was a non-starter because it costs about £10,000 to keep them safe a year.

"It's a real shame because you could see them when you were driving up from Sunderland."

He said both Newcastle and North Tyneside councils were looking to develop the land and there would be a proviso in sale conditions that the buyers would have to work with them.

He added "I feel absolutely terrible, every time I talk about it I still get very emotional.

"I've been in the yard 11 years, and spent a lot of time and money on it, but I just couldn't save it."