Toxic French warship to be dismantled in Britain: officials

PARIS (AFP) — The asbestos-contaminated French aircraft carrier Clemenceau, which was towed to India in a failed bid to have it dismantled there, will be broken up in Britain, officials said Tuesday.

Once a proud symbol of France's naval might, the ship will be broken up by a company called Able UK whose shipyard is in the northeast of England, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The Clemenceau is currently docked in the northwestern French port of Brest, where it returned a year ago after an embarrassing saga that saw it towed as far as India in a bid to find a company to dismantle it safely.

Its return to France was hailed as a major victory by environmentalist groups, who had fought tooth and nail to block its transfer to Alang on India's west coast, home to the world's largest shipbreaking yard.

Green campaigners ...