Ms Wallstrom said sending the ships to this country was too great a risk to the environment after it emerged last week that there were plans to allow them into Teesside.

Friends of The Earth have protested that if the vessels could not be handled in a dry dock they could pose a significant pollution treat to local wildlife sites, important for their populations of Knot, Redshank, Shelduck and other birds.

The Environment Commissioner told UK environment correspondents at a lunch in London today that Europe should send help but the ships should not be allowed to cross the Atlantic for breaking up.

She said "We are looking into the legal aspects of this but I'm here to protect the environment.

"And I don't think this makes sense at all. I think they should keep the ships in the US. Why should they drive them across the Atlantic?

"It seems to me too much of an environmental risk.

"I will write a letter to the US Government and I will raise it with Margaret Beckett (UK Environment Secretary) tomorrow because it doesn't make any sense to take that risk by sending these apparently very hazardous ships and old ones, also leaking hazardous substances into the James River in America, to England.

"I propose that we instead send the expertise in the other direction if necessary.

"We can assist them in dealing with these ships and how to break them up and recover them. But keep them there, don't send them here."