Representatives from Friends of Hartlepool and Hartlepool and North Tees Friends of the Earth have been battling with the compnay for more than five years and now plan to appeal against the latest decision.

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It follows a ruling by Hazel Blears, secretary of state for communities and local government, to give the company permission for its controversial plans.

It comes after a two-week public inquiry in which Able UK appealed against Hartlepool Borough Council's original decision to reject their plans to dismantle the former US navy vessels.

The ships are currently docked at Able UK's Graythorp yard, near Seaton Carew.

Protesters will now apply to the High Court, in London, for a judicial review of the inquiry decision.

Jean Kennedy, founder member of Friends of Hartlepool, said: "Our main concern is for the health and safety of the children and the future issues of this town. How can we go forward if everybody keeps pushing us back.

"As far as we are concerned the fight is on. We are going to judicial review; there is no doubt about it. We have six weeks to appeal against the decision and we will be doing so straight away."

The secretary of state's decision means that Able UK has two sets of applications after the council's planning committee controversially reversed their decision in October last year.

Iris Ryder, founder member of Friends of Hartlepool, said: "Able UK should never have been allowed to bring that second application while the public inquiry was ongoing.

"If they insisted on bringing the application then they should at least abide by the rules that were laid down and that includes 24-hour monitoring of the site."

Able UK now has permission to extend the use of the TERRC site to include construction, repair, refurbishment and decommissioning of all types of ships.

Permission has also been granted to refurbish the quays, construct a cofferdam, and build new dock gates.

Last month a 28-day public consultation was launched after Able UK applied to the Environment Agency for a waste management licence.

The firm needs the licence in order to carry out the dismantling work and the consultation comes to a close on Sunday, May 11.

Protesters have confirmed that they have lodged their objections with the Environment Agency.

Evelyn Leck, of Hartlepool and North Tees Friends of the Earth, said: "Able UK shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose which application to use because it is the next generation who will be picking up the tab.

"The fight goes on and we have managed to collect more than 3,000 signatures from people in town opposing the waste management licence."

Able UK has always maintained that work would be safely carried out and that the project would have huge economic benefits for the town. A spokesman said: "We will not be able to comment further at this time."