Falklands War surrender signed on her deck – but you can buy a piece of Clydebuilt HMS Intrepid on ebay

Not the most dignified end for a fighting ship but at this moment HMS Intrepid is being taken apart in the UK’s biggest recycling project – with hazardous marerials like asbestos already safely removed.

The Technical Demolition Services team dismantling her at Liverpool dockyard  aim to save almost 96% of her materials.

Around 11,000 tons oof steel, iron and copper will be melted down for re-use. Items like her engines, anchor chains, winches, metal lavatories, plastic mess chairs etc will be sent to recycling agents for selling on or sale as scrap.

Built at the John Brown yard on the Clyde, Intrepid was launched in 1964. She was the eighth Royal Navy ship of the name, the first being a 64-gun wooden ship, the Serieux, captured from the French in 1747.

Along with HMS Fearless, her sister ship, Intrepid was at the heart of the amphibious assault in the Falklands War. She was Command HQ for the Royal Navy Commandos, home to around 1,000 troops, 15 tanks and up to 4 Lynx Helicopters. The surrender ending the War was signed on her deck.

Many veterans wanted her to become a floating museum for the Falklands conflict. More than 300 of her former crew signed an online petition on the No 10 website calling for Gordon Brown to save her. They are now angry that with the petition open until 7th February, demolition has begun.

Some important items from the ship will be saved for purchase by former crew members as mementoes. Others will be put on ebay for public bids.

This has already begun, with the breaker Levesley International selling items including an officer’s bath (£50), a soap dispenser (£5) and the ship’s compass (£740).