Clydebank campaigners fighting to celebrate the area’s shipbuilding heritage have called for the RMS Queen Mary to be saved.

The liner, which was built at the John Brown’s yard almost 90 years ago, needs “urgent and critical repairs” that have not been carried out by its owners.

The firm responsible for looking after the vessel filed for bankruptcy, it was reported last week.

After being retired from service in 1967, just weeks after the launch of her successor the Queen Elizabeth 2, the ship was turned into a floating hotel in Long Beach, California, after 1967 but it has had problems with a series of leaseholders.

The most recent one signed to oversee the Queen Mary until 2082. But such is the backlog of repairs that it’s now estimated to need a staggering £235 million in work.

Former Clydebank MSP Gil Paterson, now chair of the Ship Yard Trust, a group formed to build a world-famous centre on the Clyde celebrating the area’s shipbuilding history, told the Post: “The Queen Mary is one of Scotland’s, if not the world’s most iconic ships.

“I have visited the ship at Long Beach, California, and spent two days on board, albeit with the ship being tied to the quay.

“The sheer magnificence of the ship and its interiors in particular was almost overwhelming, showing the pride in the achievements of our shipbuilders on the Clyde.

“Being someone deeply interested in art, the splendour of the work carried out by the artisans who created this masterpiece had taken most of my time up while on board, but as much as I tried, I was not able to see it all because of lack of time.

“The fact that this Queen is facing some difficulties lends me to plead to its owners to act with haste, and ensure that this great ship is not put in jeopardy through the lack of proper maintenance.

“I would respectfully ask of them to ensure that the Queen Mary can be seen by even more people who can then witness this marvellous creation and enjoy it themselves in the future.”

Clydebank’s MP, Martin Docherty-Hughes, said the situation with the Queen Mary was an “affront” and he would be raising the issue with the US ambassador to the UK.

Launched from the John Brown’s yard in September 1934, the Queen Mary was built for Cunard’s trans-Atlantic ‘express’ service between Southampton and New York.

She was used to transport nearly a million troops during the Second World War before returning to work as a luxury liner for the rich and famous, eventually being retired after completing her 1,000th Atlantic crossing.