A historic tall ship known as "The Flagship of Liverpool" has now been declared a wreck after suffering further damage in stormy weather.
The 100ft vessel Tall Ship Zebu, which dates back to the 1930s, sustained irreparable damage at the end of last week at its temporary base in Holyhead.
The ship, based in Liverpool for close to 30 years, had been in Holyhead where it was towed on May 13 after suffering "navigational difficulties" off the coast while on a voyage to Bristol for conservation work.
It was left at a 45 degree angle after drifting onto rocks and the ship had to be abandoned.
Initially, it was hoped that the damage was not as bad as previously feared, but
recent stormy weather had caused "further devastating damage" to the ship.
A statement from the owners said: "For the entire day and throughout the night through until Friday morning, Tall Ship Zebu was subjected to a horrendous pounding from both wind and sea.
"Winds from the south up to 70 miles [per hour] hit Holyhead and jeopardised Zebu’s already vulnerable position."
It added that the captain then "had to make the difficult decision to declare Zebu a wreck", and said "nature had now had the final say".
They added: "From here onwards, she will be removed with some speed from the sea wall at Holyhead because the harbour master and port authorities will have legitimate concerns regarding the safety of other vessels and possible pollution in this busy, commercial port.
They also asked that people withhold from requesting parts or memorabilia from the ship at this stage.
If the keel can be saved, the owners said "there may be a possibility that she can be rebuilt."
The ship was originally built in Sweden and acted as a trading vessel, and it is believed the ship may have helped with the evacuation of Jewish refugees from Denmark during the Second World War.
The ship was later converted into a sail training and expedition ship.
During the 1980s, the ship was involved in Operation Raleigh, a four year round-the-world expedition, in which thousands of young people were given the chance to play a part.
From the late 1980s, and for almost the next three decades, Zebu was moored in Liverpool and owned by the Mersey Heritage Trust.
She underwent an overhaul and refit at the turn of the millennium, which is when she adopted her familiar title of "The Flagship of Liverpool."
In 2015, she sank at her moorings near the Pumphouse Pub, at the Albert Dock, as work was started to rescue her and she was towed from outside of Tate Liverpool to Canning Dock.
