Historic docks on the River Clyde are to be brought back into use after decades of lying derelict.

The Govan Graving Dock, on the south bank is to undergo a £500K restoration programme.

The dock, which dates back to the 19th century, has been out of action for more than 40 years.

Govan Drydock Ltd, said it will return the A listed drydock to a fully operational ship repair and maintenance facility by the end of this year.

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The plan is to use the dock to maintain and refurbish historic and commercial ships.

It is the latest plan for the dock after previous attempts at redevelopment, into housing hotel and leisure, failed to materialise.

The company said it has now secured a licence to operate Govan Graving Dock number one and to bring the facility back to life for use by historic and commercial ships.

Peter Breslin, Managing Director of Govan Drydock Ltd, said: “We are committed to retaining the heritage and preserving the history of Govan Graving Dock. I am honoured to be returning this historic drydock back to active service and look forward to progressing with the restoration programme over the next six months.

“The facility will breathe life into the Govan area of Glasgow, bring employment opportunities and will become a much-needed facility for historic and commercial ships and ship owners for many years to come.”

The location was used in recent years for filming scenes for the Hollywood war movie 1917.

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Iain Sim, Chairman of Friends of TS Queen Mary, which is berthed nearby at the Science centre, added:  “The Trustees are very pleased to note that Govan Dry Dock will be available to Glasgow's historic ships and we wish the team well with the restoration programme to reopen this historic dock.

“Following the recent announcement of the intention to return the TS Queen Mary to active service, we have been exploring options for the restoration of the ship. We look forward to discussing the next phases of the TS Queen Mary restoration project with the Govan Drydock team.”