THERE has been great sadness over Port Glasgow’s Comet replica falling into a state of disrepair that led to it recently being dismantled.

Concern over the Comet’s condition goes back many years.

On this day in 1990 the Telegraph revealed that ambitious plans were to be drawn up to stop the replica from rotting away.

The initiative had been prompted by a recent inspection that discovered serious rot within the hull.

A meeting of the council’s leisure and recreation committee was told one plan was to bring the Comet back to a seaworthy condition and then have it looked after by a group of marine enthusiasts.

The other suggestion, described as a hi-tech alternative, was for a see-through dome to be built around the vessel to keep out the wood-destroying weather.

Council chiefs had explored the possibility of a complete renovation but only rough estimates of the cost could be had.

A figure of £100,000 was mentioned. However, Councillor Robert Jackson, leisure and recreation convener, warned the actual cost could be much higher.

Department director Ian Douglas said: “While the Comet may look presentable, the interior is rotting faster than we anticipated.

“No-one is prepared to put a final estimate on the cost of the work.”

Mr Douglas added that regular inspections of the Comet replica had been carried out but until recently there had been no access to check the interior.

Councillor Jackson said: “We can’t allow it to get any worse.”

“If it did it would be lost altogether and that would be a tragedy.”

Mr Douglas said the only options were to put the Comet replica into a controlled environment or put it back into a working condition.

Fast-forwarding to this month in 2011, the Comet was back on display after refurbishment at the Ferguson shipyard which cost £180,000.