Two of the four floating pontoons are to be unhooked from the stage and taken to a dry dock at the nearby Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead.It is expected they will be there for a number of weeks undergoing the stringent though routine tests demanded by Lloyds Register.

The emergency pedestrian bridge linking the landing stage to Princes Parade has already been moved by a heavy lifting gear to pave the way for the dismantling. It has been placed in a nearby car park.

The dismantling operation comes after the grand opening of the cruise terminal. Balfour Beatty had worked around the clock to get the landing stage ready for the arrival of the QE2. However, the opening came before all the necessary inspection work had been carried out. Only two of the four pontoons had been tested.

The council is keen to stress that the inspections are a consequence of a requirement by Lloyds Register and do not indicate any problems with the landing stage.